In the Grip of Nightmares
by Yanaba
Summary: The story of Kiara D'oyle. A darkelf chosen by an unusual god.
1. Prologue & Chapter 1

**Prologue**

She sat next to the pool, on dew-covered moss. The portions of her dark satin gown that touched the ground were damp with moisture. She did not know how long she had been sitting in the glade but she felt peaceful and content. A warm summer breeze rustled through the forest canopy, bringing with it the sweet scent of honeysuckle. The stars above played hide-and-seek with the forest floor through the leaves of the ancient trees. There was a clearing in the forest canopy--directly above the pool--that the moon sent its silver rays through to caress the water's surface with pale white light. The nighttime creatures sang an elated chorus, rejoicing in the mild evening air. Her tranquil mood was spoiled only by an irresistible urge to look into the sparking surface of the pool.

As she leaned over to look into the pool's depths her black silken hair fell in rippling waves about her face. She used her left hand to hold the long locks away from her eyes and stared deeply into the pool. Her reflection looked back at her with stunning clarity. The moonlight danced over her blue skin, emphasizing its smoothness; her high cheekbones were slightly purple with a healthy blush. She had a petit nose and delicately pointed ears. Her hair fell in loose waves to her waist and her eyes were of such a pale blue that they resembled liquid silver. Kiara scrutinized her reflection closely and had to admit--privately of course--that she was rather pretty. As she stared, the pool's still surface rippled, blurring her image.

When the ripples subsided she was shocked to no longer see her reflection on the pool's surface. Instead, looking back at her through the crystal water was the most beautiful light elf Kiara had ever beheld. The elf had silvery blond hair that was gathered high on her head and then left free to cascade down her back in silken ripples. Later when trying to remember, Kiara would never be certain if the elf's eyes had been jewel blue, forest green or chocolate brown; their shade had seemed to shift and change each time she looked at them. The elf wore a gossamer robe in more shades of green than have ever been named. The gown left her arms and shoulders bare and her pale skin glowed brighter than moonlight. She wore a crown of flowers and ivy and her pointed ears were adorned with two small earrings, each bearing small white stones that shone like tiny stars. The elf smiled at Kiara and her cheeks seemed to have been touched with pale pink rose petals.

Kiara was filled with a sense of wonderment--elated just to have been able to gaze upon this remarkable vision. She could not resist reaching out her hand to try to touch the elf's image in the water. Before she could however, ripples again broke the water's smooth surface and her heart was filled with a sense of loss as the vision before her faded. When the ripples cleared there was another woman in the water. Kiara's stomach filled with dread as she looked upon this new image. This woman also had pale skin but it was tinged with gray, like the skin of a corpse; no rose flush graced this woman's sallow cheeks. She wore a black dress that shone like liquid oil. She was skeletally thin with raven hair that fell past two bronze horns that rose from her temples. Where her eyes should have been dark sockets--like twin black holes--seemed to stare into Kiara's soul.

Kiara drew back from the pool, not wanting to be anywhere near this strange woman's visage. The woman's sulky smile became an expression of rage at Kiara's retreat. In her mind Kiara heard a gritty voice speaking to her. It said, "You shall not find safety with her. You belong to me!" The woman stretched out her thin arms, passing through the surface of the pool to grab Kiara's wrists in a steely grip. Off balance, Kiara fell struggling into the cold water.

The water saturated her robe and hair, weighing her down and pulling her deeper under. She managed to pull her arms free of the woman but could no longer find the surface of the pool. The dark water surrounded her and bubbles danced in front of her eyes, obscuring her vision. Her lungs burned as acrid water filled her nose and mouth. The water that had looked so clean and sweet now tasted bitter and dirty, as if it had been tainted by decaying flesh. Finally Kiara's equilibrium returned and she began swimming to the surface. When she reached it she encountered a hard icy plane, as if the water's surface had frozen solid. She banged on the frozen ice with her fists trying to break through to the air. After repeated blows her fists were scraped and bleeding but desperation gave her strength and a final blow to the ice caused it to shatter like a pane of glass hit by a stone.

Kiara broke through to the surface to see the glade covered in winter snow. She gasped, filling her lungs with fresh, cold air. The midnight sky still shown down through the naked tree branches. Large white snowflakes fell gently though the silent sky to land on the ice around her. Her cheeks turned red from frostbite and her teeth began to chatter. Her grip on the ice was precarious and the lapping water of the pool caused her to slip back several inches as though it was trying to pull her back into its depths. She began clawing at the ice with her fingertips, trying to pull herself out of the freezing water. She managed to get her upper chest out of the water far enough that when she stretched her fingertips could almost reach the snow-covered shoreline.

As she stretched she felt something grab at her legs that were still dangling in the water. She kicked with her feet and felt her slippers fall off, leaving both her feet bare. Arms wrapped around her legs pulling her back under the water's dark surface. She struggled, kicking and punching to free herself from the unknown assailant. As suddenly as it had seized her, the grip on her legs released and she again tried to swim to the surface, only to find that she was no longer swimming through water, but falling into endless darkness.

Chapter 1 

The dark-elf panted, sweat beading on her brow as the two nursemaids glanced at each other nervously over her struggling form. After the pain passed she collapsed back onto the bed. The once elegant sheets were tousled and stained with sweat. Nervously the maids looked to the corner where the priest of Innoruuk stood, silently watching the proceedings. They spoke to each other in whispers expressing their concern that the midwife had not yet shown up. Though they tried to be quiet, Ceire could hear their comments clearly.

"What will we do if she doesn't arrive?"

"I don't know. I have assisted with many normal births, but this one is strange. I'm really worried."

Ceire let out a sigh as the pain subsided. The maids turned their attention back to her, trying to help ease her discomfort. Ceire had been in labor for what felt to her like days though in truth it had only been a few hours. Despite her extended labor the midwife still had yet to arrive and the maids were growing more and more nervous. This was to be her first child and her abdomen was swollen uncommonly large for a dark-elf. This pregnancy had been a hard one for her. She had been bedridden for the last two weeks and had suffered many sleepless nights.

The dark wood furniture in the room was elegant but sparse. Her bed took up most of the room. A wooden dresser stood on the far side and a rocking chair sat next to an old bassinet recently cleaned and prepared for the baby. The only light came from the ornate fireplace. Being dark-elves they did not need the light to see by but crackling fire added a graceful touch to the room.

Ceire placed her hands on her abdomen, caressing her soon to be born child. Her swollen stomach radiated heat causing her to pull at her chemise in an attempt to let the room's slowly circulating air cool her sweat-covered skin. The shift clung to her moist body, causing her skin to itch. With a violent motion she kicked the blankets off of the bed in an effort to escape their suffocating heat.

The silent priest standing in the corner made Ceire nervous. The priest's first purpose was to determine if her child was healthy or deformed. If the child was determined to be deformed, it would be taken and sacrificed to Innoruuk immediately. The priest literally held the life or death of her child in his hands. His second purpose here was to bless her child on behalf of Innoruuk, the god of Hate. The blessing would be given as soon as the child was born and determined healthy so that the babe would grow strong in his ways.

Without warning the door banged open and the midwife shuffled quickly into the room. The abrupt entrance caused the maids to jump with surprise. The woman's skin hung on her face in wrinkles, the blue color grayed with age. Her white hair was shot through with gray and arranged into a matted bun. A few wispy tendrils escaped the bun to frame her aged face. She wore a black robe that was wrinkled with use and her thin arms were bared to the elbows, showing recently washed skin. She gave the priest the barest nod of recognition. She barked at the shocked maids and they immediately scrambled to get the supplies she requested. Blankets and hot water were already prepared and placed on a table beside the bed. Ceire's muscles tensed as she watched the midwife approached her, "I don't recognize you."

The midwife reached out and touched her arm. In a soothing voice she spoke, "I have been sent to help you though this."

Ceire felt her muscles ripple as the next contraction hit and her nervousness over the new midwife was replaced by concern for her unborn child. She reached out and grabbed the arm of the closest maid, her nails breaking the girl's tender skin and drawing blood as waves of agony washed through her. The maid gasped in pain and tried to move away from Ceire. The midwife glared at her and the maid stilled her movements, not wanting to irritate the older elf. The maid repositioned herself instead, offering her other hand for Ceire to grip.

The midwife went to the end of the bed to check the progress of the birth. Ceire shivered as the woman's thin hands touched her skin. Her touch was professional--quick and light--but still Ceire felt unnerved. The midwife looked up into her eyes and said, "It won't be long now."

The midwife's dark eyes were mesmerizing causing Ceire to feel as though she was falling into them. "I don't recall seeing you before. Why is Baesa not here? She's been my midwife through the whole pregnancy. Where is she?" Ceire's voice raised in concern and closed her eyes against the pain of the contractions and the woman's penetrating gaze.

"She could not be here, I am Daeva. My lady, you must not let such things bother you at this time."

Ceire nodded and sat back. She spent the next several minutes just concentrating on breathing as the maids bustled about the room. They fluffed her pillows and folded the blankets that Ceire had kicked off the bed earlier. A glass was pressed to her lips and the cool water moistened her parched throat. Again her worry rose and she could not help voicing the concern most prominent in her mind.

"But why could she not be here?"

"My lady D'oyle I can see the baby's head. With the next contraction you must push."

Ceire nodded her head again. With the next pain she sat up, clenching her muscles with such force she felt certain her insides would burst. The wave passed and she again collapsed against the bed. A maid leaned over to pat her brow with a white cloth; it came away stained red with blood. The maid looked at the rag in shock before the midwife's angry gaze released her from her frozen position. She rinsed the rag quickly and continued to wipe the sweat from Ceire's brow. Ceire remained unaware of the problem as she repeated the process several more times, straining with all her might to push her child into the world.

The maid holding Ceire's hands gave a startled gasp as the baby slipped into Daeva's hands. Time seemed to slow as Ceire struggled to sit up and look at her child. Despite the blood roaring in her ears she dimly heard the priest chanting a prayer to ward off evil. She looked to the bottom of her bed with horror dawning in her eyes.

The babe was no elf, it was a monster. Two heads rose from a thick neck. The ape-like body was covered with blue serpent scales. Vampiric teeth were visible in its two snarling mouths. The creature attacked the midwife, her screams echoed in Ceire's ears. Blood seemed to erupt all over the room as the midwife fell to the floor, her throat torn open. The creature moved on all fours, skittering under the bed as one of the maids ran from the room. The priest, bearing a talisman in one hand and a silver kris in the other stepped towards the bed with a purposeful motion.

Ceire rolled until she lay across the bed and leaned her head over the side. With a shaking hand she lifted the bed's ruffle to look beneath. Four red eyes glared out from beneath the bed freezing her heart with fear. Still she was unexplainably drawn to the creature she had carried. She slowly placed her hand under the bed speaking soothingly in an attempt to draw the creature out. "Come here, come to me." It gradually moved towards her voice. A forked tongue flicked her hand as if testing her scent. The soft touch caused her skin to twitch. The priest moved cautiously from around the bed to where she looked under.

When the creature came out from under the bed, the remaining maid who was cowering in the corner of the room fainted. At the sound of her body crashing to the floor the creature jumped launching itself at the priest. Its stubby arms and legs could not match the priests reach however, and with a deft flick of his wrist he impaled the kris thought its heart. Tears streamed down Ceire's face as the priest withdrew the knife from her baby's body.

"Why did this happen?" She begged the priest to explain. Hoping he could ease the confusion in her heart. The priest looked directly into her eyes and a feeling of dread began to grow in her stomach. His cool gaze seemed to pierce her soul.

"Because you are cursed."

"What?"

"You are no true child of Innoruuk. You should have been killed at birth."

She began to back away as the priest advanced on her. "What are you saying? I am a child of Innoruuk. I have followed all of your teachings."

"You cannot be allowed to bring more monsters into this world."

The priest raised the kris--still covered with the creature's blood--high over his head. Ceire raised her hands in a vain attempt to ward off the blow. The blade pierced the soft flesh of her stomach and pain radiated though her body. Looking into the priest's eyes Ceire saw his determination to see her dead. She lay back on the bed, the blade still inside her body and watched as her life's blood slowly drained away to the rhythm of her heart and the priest began to dedicate her dying spirit to Innoruuk

She closed her eyes only to hear moments later, "My lady D'oyle I can see the baby's head. With the next contraction you must push." She opened her eyes and was startled to find that she was still in labor. The room remained unbloodied and the two nursemaids were looking at her with concern. The midwife Daeva also seemed worried. It was as if the experience she had just lived through had never occurred. She was back to the very moment before her baby's birth. _What is happening to me?_ She thought to herself. A cold voice spoke in her mind._ "If you give your progeny to me, I will prevent your vision from manifesting."_ Ceire looked around the room to find the source of the voice. The chatter of the nursemaids became a buzz in her ears as she ignored them.

An amorphous figure appeared at the foot of her bead and Ceire gasped. The goddess of nightmares stood before her. Terris Thule stood taller than any human woman; her horns almost brushed the ceiling of Ceire's bedroom. Her image was translucent, ghostly; as if she were there in spirit not body. The priest stood looking on as if nothing were out of the ordinary. His eyes never even glanced at the Goddess before him. The voice came again, ringing in Ceire's head like an echoing bell. _"Proclaim your offspring mine and I will save you from your nightmare."_

"My lady you must push or the babe will die." One of the nursemaids spoke in her ear.

Hands pushed at her shoulders trying to make Ceire sit up. She screamed as a bolt of agony seared her being. Still in her mind the relentless voice continued, _"Do you give your offspring to me? I can spare you this curse, if you will but swear!" _ Defeated, Ceire nodded her head in agreement. _"SWEAR IT!"/i_ Came the voice in her head, deafening her with its volume. Ceire shouted to the room "I SWEAR!"

The two nursemaids looked at her in startled surprise before resuming their tasks at the glaring of the midwife. One sat at the head of the bed holding Ceire's arms, supporting her. The older one waited at the midwife's side with a clean blanket. She looked up into Ceire's face and said. "Now, My lady." Ceire pushed and felt movement inside her. Wetness gushed between her thighs and the nursemaid gasped as Daeva caught the baby.

Ceire tensed in fear as she looked to where her child was held. "He is beautiful, My Lady." The nursemaid spoke as she cleaned the blood off of the child. The baby was quickly wrapped in a blanket and handed to Ceire. Miraculously--after an initial howl protesting his entrance to the world--the baby quieted. With her hair plastered to her face and sweat streaming from her pores, she smiled at the bundle in her arms.

His skin was as soft as silk and the color of sourberries ripened in the sun. Dark hair already grew on his small perfectly formed head. His blue eyes were the color of frosted ice, though they would probably not remain so light. As she held the baby another contraction rippled the muscles of her still bulging stomach. "What is happening?" She glanced around in fear.

The midwife looked up. "You are not done yet, my Lady."

The second maid took the baby from her arms. Ceire stared in fear at the joyous expression on Terris Thule's face and her body jerked with pain has her second child began the process of joining the world. Through her pain Ceire watched as her son was cleaned and placed in a fresh blanket. As the nurse held her child Terris Thule moved so that she was standing behind the maid, looking at the child's face. The midwife pinched her leg. The pain in such an unexpected location brought her attention back to what she was doing.

"My Lady, you must push again."

"I can't, I'm too tired."

The midwife stood and with the full force of her body she slapped Ceire across the face. "You can and you will! If you do not, you will shame your house. Your son could even be put to death if his sibling arrives dead!"

The sudden shock of pain in an area other than her abdomen surprised Ceire so much that she bit her lip, drawing blood. The metallic taste filled her mouth and drew her focus to the here and now. She stared at the midwife crouched between her legs. With the last force of her will she brought her daughter into the world. Ceire lay back, her labors done. Almost in a daze she watched as her daughter was cleaned. She was smaller than her brother but bore the same hair as black as pitch. Both children were placed into her waiting arms.

Once they had settled, the priest approached to examine the children but the vaporous form of Terris Thule stepped in his way. He hesitated as if uncertain why he was stopped. Terris held his gaze for long moments before moving. The priest approached the bed and she stood behind him, her hands on his arms controlling his movements. His eyes were foggy as if sedated. He began speaking in unison with the goddess. Her cold voice combined with his sent shivers down Ceire's spine.

"What are the children to be named?"

"Kerian and Kiara, of the house D'oyle."

"Daesa un para Innoruuk. Formane et ulna esa. Matre en Terris, famina Thule. Than inlo omar cire Kerian, habin da warrior. Than inlo omar cire Kiara, habin da cleric. Mano tesa wonul vern har."

At Terris' direction the priest made a mark on each baby's forehead. He then stood and she let go of him whispering in his ear,, "You have done your duty. The children are acceptable and have been blessed."

In a voice that sounded much like a puppet being forced by its master's hand the priest repeated the goddess' words, "I have done my duty. The children are acceptable and have been blessed." His eyes were glazed and he stared off into the distance before continuing. "I must report back to the temple."

As the priest left the older maid stood watching, her expression puzzled. The blessing had not been the traditional one she usually heard at a birth but at the midwife's glare she resumed her cleaning. The other maid did not even look up as the priest left. She was too busy seeing to the instructions that the midwife had given them.

Ceire's eyelids felt heavy. Her limbs had an unnatural weight to them and she was having trouble holding the babies. Seeing her difficulty the midwife instructed the maids to take the infants from her. As they were lifted out of her arms they began crying in unison. Their small cries tore at Ceire's heart. She weakly raised her arms, "Give them back I wish to hold them."

"You will never hold them again." Daeva said coldly.

Ceire tried to get her eyes to focus. The room spun merrily around, making her nauseous. "What do you mean? I am a noble of the house D'oyle! You cannot keep my children from me."

"I will not keep them from you."

Ceire blinked, trying to understand. Her heart was pumping loudly in her ears. "What…" her hands flew to her stomach as the pain began again, "I don't…"

"Your bleeding has not stopped. You will die."

Ceire's eyes flew to where Terris stood. "Why?" She had moved to the corner of the room where the two maids where holding the babies trying to get them to quiet. The goddess leaned over the maids staring at the two small perfectly formed babies with and expression of such longing, it hurt to look at her. Terris glanced at her again; the dark pits where her eyes should have been filled Ceire with fear. "Your promise."

She again heard the goddess voice in her mind. _Had nothing to do with your life._

"But my children."

_Will grow strong in my ways. _ The goddess' mouth curved into a cruel smile.

As her life-blood flowed out of her body, with her dying thought Ceire made a solemn vow. _I shall protect my children._ Her heart stuttered in her chest, and her vision went black as the last of her breath left her body. Her spirit rose and she felt as though a terrible weight had been lifted from her. She stood looking down at her body and she was strangely peaceful. Her spirit felt an insistent pull, as though she was supposed to go somewhere, but even stronger was the need to remain with her children.

She looked around the room with new eyes. She saw herself lying on the bed, blood saturating the elegant coverings. Daeva ordered the maids to lay the children in the prepared bassinet and then to leave the room. They quickly complied, quietly closing the bedroom door behind them. As Daeva walked over to where the children lay Ceire's ghostly form followed her. Terris Thule's form solidified so that she appeared to be flesh and bone and Daeva knelt before the goddess, her gaze turned downward in reverence.

"My goddess what would you have of me now?"

"The father will need a wet nurse to care for the children. You shall perform that service." As she spoke Terris reached out and touched Daeva's bowed head causing her form to shimmer and change. Ceire turned her eyes away from the harsh light and when she turned back Daeva had changed. Her unbound hair fell halfway down her back. It was a pure white, no longer shot through with silver. The wrinkles had faded from her skin and her flesh had filled out to reveal a softly curved body. Her large breasts were obviously swollen with milk.

Daeva looked at her newly formed body. "Thank you my goddess, I have not had a form this lovely in some time."

"And you will not again, if you fail me." Terris told her. Daeva again bowed her head in reverence. "Now go, explain who you are to the father and get him to give you the charge of the children." She swiftly stood and strode out of the room, her steps filled with purpose. Terris stood for a moment staring into the empty room. "I know you are still here. It is too late, you have promised the children to me. I shall have them." The goddess' image shimmered and then disappeared completely.

Ceire walked over to the cradle and stared down at her children. Their black lashes lay against their cheeks like lace. In sleep their faces were angelic and Ceire felt a new emotion fill her being for the first time. It filled her spirit with warmth. Ceire bent over and placed a kiss on each of their cheeks. As she stood the door opened and the room began to fill with people. They came in and began to prepare her body for burial. She watched the proceedings in a daze, her emotions numb from the very idea that she was watching her own body be cleaned and dressed from across the room..

The children were moved from the room and she followed. In the hallway she stopped. Her husband Rion stood silently in the hallway with Daeva. His eyes seemed glazed as she preened in front of him, he appeared to be totally be-spelled. Ceire did not begrudge him finding someone as there had been no emotion between them. She did however object to it being Daeva. As she floated past she grimaced at the midwife. Startled, Daeve looked around as if sensing Ceire's animosity.

_Curious. We shall see Terris, who wins in the end._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

The twins rushed silently through the dark streets of Neriak their leather boots making almost no noise on the cobbled roads. Kiara watched her brother's back, a grin spread wide across her face. Their hair was pulled back into basic ponytails; however, hers was tied with a blue ribbon. As they ran she had fun shaking her head, causing the ends to swish across her back with her movements. Their clothes were identical, dark blue peasant shirts and black leather pants fit them each perfectly. At eight years old Kerian had finally started to grow significantly bigger than his sister and for the first time in their lives they could no longer swap clothes.

Suddenly Kerian ducked around a corner and she quickly followed. No light filtered into the depths of the narrow, grime-covered alleyway they had just entered. Kerian had come to a complete stop so when she turned the corner she bumped into his back. Kiara could not stop a giggle from escaping her lips despite their need for stealth. Kerian looked over his shoulder at her and their identical, light blue eyes met. He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement, and put a finger to his lips indicating she should be silent.

_"I know I have to be quiet! You don't have to remind me."_ She said as she stomped her foot in annoyance. No one would overhear her because she used mindspeak. It was a very rare ability that allowed them to communicate silently with each other.

_"Well you're the one who giggled."_ He turned his attention back to what he was doing. He cautiously peeked his head around the corner of the building, looking back in the direction they had come from. _"Well we've lost her. What should we do now?"_

The twins had been able to mind speak for as long as they could remember. It had come naturally to them and they had developed a very close bond because of it. In fact they were never seen apart. A few years ago Daeva had suggested to their father that they be given their own rooms. Kiara had refused to sleep away from her brother and Kerian had refused to go to bed without her. After three nights of sneaking into each other's rooms and two nights of continuous screaming when their bedroom doors were locked. The adults had finally given in and allowed them back into a single room.

The 'her' they were referring to was Daeva. She had been their nanny since they were born and there was nothing more fun that getting out of her sight. She turned such a delicious shade of purple when angry with them. Kiara pondered Kerian's question for a full minute before she got an idea.

_"Lets go to the area where the other people are!"_

_"What other people?"_

_"Oh you know, The trolls and ogres. We've never been there before."_

He thought about her suggestion before another grin lit his face. _"Ok! And maybe we can even go to the arena and see the fighters!"_ Kerian grabbed her hand and they again went racing through the streets. Most of the adults paid them no mind, too busy with their own concerns. After making their way to the common quarter of the city the twins slowed to a walk. The hard part about getting to the foreign quarter was going to be getting past the guards on the bridge. They didn't let unaccompanied children cross to the outside.

When they reached the outer wall Kerian gave Kiara a boost onto an old barrel that was sitting against the wall. She then climbed several old canvas-covered crates to where she could see over the stone wall. The canvas was dusty and even the slightest movement sent a cloud into her face to tickle her nose. With her right hand she covered her nose and mouth trying to prevent herself from sneezing. She placed her left hand on the wall and used it for support when she stood up to peer over the edge.

_"What do you see?"_ He asked impatiently.

_"The two guards are Eram and Michael. They are wide awake. I don't think we can pass them without being seen."_

_"Is there no other way to the other side of the lake?"_

Kiara snorts, "_Not unless you're willing to get wet."_

After she thought it, her eyes opened wide. She looked down at her brother and saw that he was grinning as well. Kerian steadied her as she lightly hopped down from her high perch and they took off for the docking area. The docks were actually just two wooden walkways built to extend out into the underground lake. They were about fifteen feet long and aged from years of service. The continual contact with the water had caused the planks to warp and bend. A single dingy was tied up to the end of the longer dock. The docks were unattended giving the area a deserted feeling.

The water made a soft lapping sound against the stone shore and two small lampposts provided the only light to break the gloom of the large cavern. The dark water looked cold and intimidating. It remained still with only tiny ripples marring the surface, giving testament to the strong currents that flowed beneath. Kiara could not stop a shiver from traveling down her back as Kerian sat down on the wooden dock and began unlacing his boots.

"What are you doing?"

He looked up surprised to hear her voice out loud. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm taking off my boots. It's dangerous to try to swim while wearing them."

"Oh," Kiara quickly sat down next to her brother and began to remove her boots as well. While she struggled with a particularly difficult knot she looked out over the water. "It's a really far distance to the other side. Do you think we can do it?"

"Sure we can! Just think how much fun it will be to get to see the fighters in the arena!"

Kiara sniffed. "I wanna see the tunnel that leads to the surface. Hey Ker, What do you think the surface looks like?"

Kerian shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. I heard that there is no protective ceiling on the surface. The Air just goes on forever. And in the place called the sky there is something called the sun. It is supposed to be brighter than all the lanterns in the underdark put together."

"Do you think we'll ever get to go there?"

"Of course, when we are older we will get to fight to bring the Tier'dal back to their former glory!" Kerian said as he leapt to his bare feet. He danced around for a few moments, pretending to slash and hack as if he were swinging a sword at an unseen enemy.

"Oh please! You look silly doing that!" Kiara stood up and waited until her brother performed a particularly ridiculous lunge that left him off balance Taking advantage of the situation presented to her she pushed him quite hard causing him to trip over a loose plank on the dock and fall headfirst into the water, making a loud splash.

He came to the surface sputtering. _"Hey! Whatdidya do that for?"_

_"Cause you looked dumb."_

_"Did not! Gimme my boots and get in here before someone comes."_

Kiara nodded her head in agreement, the splash had been loud enough that it might attract attention. She handed his boots to him then tied the laces of her own together and slung them over her shoulder. At the edge of the dock was a ladder leading into the water. She carefully climbed down it until she was immersed to her shoulders, then she let go and began to tread water. The water was cold; it had a metallic odor and tasted like vitamins. Her now wet clothing clung to her skin, making her movements slow and awkward.

Kerian began swimming; his slow, confident strokes set the pace for them trying to keep their splashing to a minimum as they followed the shoreline. Several minutes of silence passed, each of them lost in their own thoughts as they plodded across the inky blackness of the lake. Soon the stone bridge that crossed the great lake appeared in their view. The guards patrolled on top of it, paying no mind to the water below. Ten feet from the bridge Kerian turned and began swimming parallel to it, crossing out into the deeper part of the lake. Kiara followed, her limbs were starting to feel heavy and it was getting harder for her to keep up. Her bootlaces dug into her shoulder dragging her down. The shore on the other side seemed to grow further away with each stroke. What had seemed a short swim before, now appeared miles away to her.

_"Cant do it!"_ even in thought, her voice sounded out of breath.

_"Yes you can! You're not going to quit on me now are you?"_

_"I'm tired, lets go back."_

_"We're almost there. I'm going to beat you! I always new you were weaker."_ His voice taunted her in her mind.

Her eyes narrowed, and her strokes grew stronger. _"Take it back!"_

_"Make me!"_ Came his arrogant reply.

Kiara began kicking with her legs and stroking in earnest trying to catch up with her brother. By the time they reached the opposite shore her lungs were bursting and her chest felt encased in iron bands; but they touched the shore at the same time. While still standing knee deep in the water she lashed out with her fists at Keiran, His words had stung her pride and she was determined to blacken his eye for the insult. At the same time he threw his arms about her, pulling her close before her fist had a chance to land and incasing her in a waterlogged hug.

_"What are you doing! Lemme go!"_ she said while struggling to step back.

_"I knew you could do it."_ Came his laughing reply.

_"Hey! You tricked me!" _She thought at him, as they climbed quietly onto the rocky shore.

_"Yep, now quiet while I think."_

She sat down on a rock with a huff and began wringing out her hair while he examined the cavern wall. Once done she placed her wet boots back on her feet and laced them up again. When she stood she could feel the wet leather squishing under her toes. Her nose wrinkled as she thought of what her feet would feel like later after being in the wet boots for a long time. Curious she stepped up to her brother and followed his gaze along the wall. The cave wall was smooth from years of water wearing away at the sides of the walls. It rose up about 200 feet before joining with the caverns high ceiling. Up ahead the wall made an abrupt turn where the bridge connected on this side of the cavern. The path that went on from there was hidden around that bend.

_"I think if we climb half way up the wall and walk along that ridge up there, we will be above everybody's sight. The guards seem to look only in front and behind, not above or below."_

Kiara nodded her head and followed her brother as he cautiously began climbing the wall. There were lots of nooks and crannies that their small fingers and toes could fit in, making the long climb easier. Above her Kerian made a small noise in the back of his throat, she looked up just in time to see him loose his footing above her. His feet kicked at the wall in a panic, less than a foot away from her head, trying to regain purchase on the stone wall.

_"Quit flailing. I can help." _He ceased kicking with his feet and just hung from his precarious grip on the wall. _"Raise your right foot two inches and move it four inches to the right."_ He followed her instructions and his toes found the ledge she had described to him. They both resumed climbing and moments later reached the narrow rock ledge that had been their goal. Panting, the brother and sister sat on the ledge holding each other while their pulses calmed. Once their hearts calmed to a normal level, Kerian stood and helped Kiara to her feet.

_"Well Sis, now we're even. That's enough rest, let's get going"_

_"Even?" _Kiara snorted. _"By the end of the day, I will have saved you more then you'll have saved me."_

Grinning Kerian replied. _"You're on."_

Together they made their way along the ledge. Below them the people, mostly dark-elves, continued about their business; never noticing the creeping shadows high above them on the cavern's walls. After a short walk the ledge they were traveling stopped as the passage raised, entering the Foreign Quarter of Neriak. They slid down the wall until their feet once again touched the ground below them.

Here in the Foreign Quarter all the streets were wider; more to allow for the high volume of trade traffic then out of consideration for the larger races that frequented the area. Many of the buildings in this area were little more than ramshackle hovels. Doors hung crookedly on battered hinges and stained curtains hung in most of the windows. The majority of people who lived in this area were Ogres and Trolls that lived here at the mercy of Tier'Dal land lords, as long as they paid their rent not many objected to the arrangement. Most of the streets were empty, it being Nalday, the day of the week the arena fights were held like clockwork. The two children could hear the dull roar of a large crowd coming from the northeast corner of the city and followed the sound until they found the massive structure.

The Arena was built like a coliseum; the high tiered stone seats looked down into the central pit. The twins saw the guards collecting tickets at the doorway. Ahead of them a large troll with voluminous skirts was slowly making her way to the entrance, a large canvas bag slung over her bent shoulder. Her large ears were pierced with multiple bone loops adorning them and her gaze was glassy, indicating a recent encounter with a large amount of ale. Silently the twins crept up behind her, doing their best not to attract any attention. Kiara lifted the trolls brown outer skirt and quickly draped it over both their heads.

It became a hectic dance to stay close enough that the trolls skirt covered them but far enough away that her awkward gait and sudden stops would not send them tumbling into her legs. The thick wool skirt was stifling with the troll's overpowering body odor nearly bringing Kiara to her knees. Not soon enough for their tastes the troll made her way past the ticket guard. As quickly as they could they scrambled out from under her skirts leaving a confused Troll shouting at their retreating backs. "Eh? Wa goin on dere?"

Breathless but laughing, the twins climbed to the top of the Arena's steps and found a seat behind some portly merchants in the rear. Kerian wiggled restlessly in his seat, anxious for the entertainment to begin. Kiara's gaze traveled over the crowd, examining all the different people gathered for the event. The king and queen sat on a raised dais located next to the pit. Two armored guards stood at attention in the dais with them. Most of the tiers closest to the dais held the noble houses that were in favor with the monarchs. At one such tier her gaze stopped and a started gasp escaped her lips. _"Kerian,"_ she tugged on his sleeve. "_That's father down there!"_

He leaned forward in his seat, his body tense. _"Where Kiara?"_

_"Right there,"_ she pointed with her finger and he followed her direction until he spotted the seat in question. The twins took this chance to admire their father. They didn't see him much as he was always too busy to be bothered with them. He was a tall man with an angular face and his clothing was finely made which only added to the confidant air about him. He sat there relaxing and leaning back to talk with those surrounding him.

As they watched, another familiar figure joined their father on his bench. It was Daeva. Her mouth was compressed into a thin line and by her gestures and facial expressions the twins could tell that she was angry. They watched as she stalked toward their father, every muscle in her body tense. She leaned down and spoke quietly in his ear. As they watched, their father's expression became clouded and stormy. Guiltily the twins looked at each other.

_"It looks like we're in trouble Kerian."_

_"Oh well, nothing to be done about it now. OHH the fight is starting!"_ Kerian's attention was completely distracted by the opening of one set of doors on the arena's floor space. A figure was thrust outside and the doors quickly closed behind her. The children leaned forward trying to get a better look at the distant figure. The figure slowly made her way out to the middle area of the fighting pit. Her skin was a pale peach color and her brown hair was matted and tangled. She wore leather armor that seemed to be in bad condition with many cracks and tears marring it's surface. She held no weapon in her hands; her wide eyes swept the audience, fear evident on her countenance.

Kerian snorted in disgust. _"That's one of the light elves that we have been fighting for so long? Pitiful."_ He jeered at the woman in the pit. _How is that skinny one going to give any kind of a good showing? She didn't even bring a weapon!"_

Kiara watched with a sense of growing horror. A second set of doors opened and both twins gasped when they saw what emerged from the darkness. The creature had a golden lion's body, it's armored red tail arched high above it with a large black stinger on its end. The creature's head resembled that of a man but when it opened its mouth a multitude of razor sharp teeth gleamed from within. The creature's body showed gashes where blood dripped from the opened wounds. It's eyes showed it was in a bestial rage and its body quivered when it spotted the elf.

_"Kerian, this is not the noble fight you said it would be. Our people are making a spectacle of her death."_

Kerian said nothing, his attention was riveted on what was going on below. The elf had frozen when the manticore first appeared. Now she backed slowly away from the advancing predator. Keeping her face to the creature stalking her she called out to the crowd, her voice surprisingly strong. "And will you cowards not even give me a fighting chance? Throw me my weapon, if you wish to see a fight instead of a slaughter."

The crowd erupted at the audacity the wood elf had shown. Some shouted agreement and others shouted that death was all she had a right to ask for. Most turned their head to the royal dais, waiting for the decision from the king and queen. _"See Kiara, the king will give her a weapon. We are giving our enemy the opportunity to die fighting instead of locked in a cell. We do have honor!"_

The queen leaned over and spoke into the king's ear. The entire crowd hushed, waiting for their decision. The elf in the pit waited breathlessly for her fate to be decided. Even the manticore seemed inclined to hold off the attack. Its tail lashed back and forth across its flanks as it moved steadily closer to its prey. The king stood and with great deliberation held out his hand, thumb turned downwards. A large cheer came from the crowd; the manticore took a single last step before launching itself at the elf.

Kiara hid her face against her brother's arm, unwilling to watch the bloody end of the wood elf woman. Kerian's eyes were wide and his expression stony. He watched the futile struggling of the elf to fend of the manticor's tail strikes. He watched as its knife-like teeth ripped her forearm off of her body. He watched until the elf's besieged body lay still. The manticore used its claws to rip open her stomach before lowering its mouth to feast on her tender flesh. The crowd's cries were deafening cheers, their eyes filled with bloodlust. Each cry caused Kiara to shake even more. Kerian wrapped his arms around her shoulders in an attempt to offer her comfort. Tears streamed down her cheeks re-wetting his recently dried shirt.

_"This was wrong Kerian, something inside me tells me this is not how people are supposed to behave."_

_"I know Kiara,"_ he answered quietly. _"I know," _

To their surprise a warmth seemed to surround their shivering bodies. They felt comforted and could not explain how. Kiara's tears wound themselves to a stop and the twins avoided looking at the pit any further. They cautiously stood in preparation to sneak back out of the Arena when a large hand descended on each of their shoulders. They were lifted, struggling, off of the ground; and turned until they were looking straight into a troll's large bloodshot eyes. "Well naw. Wha do we has ere?" Came the gruff voice.

_Across the stadium, the twins saw their father's attention shift from the pit's floor to where the troll held them aloft. His eyes gleamed with excitement from the display he had just witnessed but as his gaze focused on them it hardened again. He waved at the troll who held them, indicating he would meet them outside. After they left, unseen by any in the crowd, a woman's form stood where the children had been moments before, her expression sad; before she disappeared._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Kiara sat alone in the courtyard of the academy. Stone benches sat strategically placed between ancient statues of renowned figures from Tier'Dal history. A few potted plants were scattered through the courtyard as well, most of them were exotic mosses and phosphorescent algae that thrived in the lightless environment of the Underdark. Several lightstones sat mounted in iron holders around the wall of the courtyard, their dim light allowing people to see the elaborate stone mosaic that created the winding paths and swirling patterns on the ground.

Kiara sat on one of the stone benches in a plain white robe; her hair was neatly braided and pulled over her shoulder. Its length allowed her to chew lightly on the tail of the ribbon that held it in place. A book lay open on her lap, forgotten in her reverie. She had been here a week and was still having trouble settling in. She was the youngest student in the academy and somehow it had slipped out that her presence here had more to do with her uncontrollable behavior than any talent. After she and her brother had been caught in the arena their father had been enraged at their antics. He decided that separation was the only punishment that would truly have an impact on them. Thus Kerian had been shipped off to the Indigo Brotherhood that night and her removal to the Lodge of the Dead had occurred the next morning.

The loss of her brother's presence still caused a twinge of pain in her heart whenever she had a moment to herself. The companionship they shared was only the smallest part of their bond. Occasionally at night, if she sat in her bed and concentrated, she could speak with him. He told her that the training he was undergoing was strenuous; she could almost feel the weariness in his voice when he spoke with her, could almost feel the bruises on his body. She tried not to bother him too often. Communication over the larger distance was draining and she didn't want her presence in his mind to keep him from getting as much rest as possible. She had shared with him her own trials and tribulations though. So far no matter what the headmasters in the lodge did, they couldn't seem to spark an ounce of power in her.

The Lodge of the Dead was well known as the most prestigious guild in the city. They were the home of the most fearsome and respected cast of magic users in the Tier'Dal nation, the Shadowknights and Necromancers of Innoruuk. Yet no matter how hard she tried, Kiara couldn't dredge up even the remotest spark of connection with the dead. At a loss, her instructor had finally sent her out to the courtyard to study the text of Balon K'talut, a beginner's textbook for necromancers.

The lack of affiliation to the lodge was not her biggest problem either. Darik T'kil held that position; he was a second year student and had chosen her to be his example to the rest of the school. He held the highest power rank of a second year student and took every opportunity to torment her. In class he treated her with leering disdain and outside of class he practiced his necromantic skills at her expense. Just yesterday he had reanimated a skeleton's hand and used it to trip her as she carried her lunch to a table. Just thinking about him caused her fury to grow and seethe in her stomach.

As she stared off into space she was unaware that the target of her thoughts had just entered the courtyard. He had just been released from class and was in high spirits. Accompanying him were his two cronies, Vorn and Cleek. Spying his favorite target unaware and unprepared he quickly reviewed his possibilities. He had meant to use the cauldron of leftover animal parts he carried with him to soil Kiara's room but the opportunity in front of him was too good to pass up. Creeping quietly behind her, Darik up ended the entire bucket over Kiara's head.

Kiara was startled out of her daydream by the sensation of wet gunk pouring over her head and shoulders. Small bits of animal refuse and stagnate water clung to her robe and filled her senses. Leaping to her feet she turned on her tormenter, red fury blazing in her eyes. Darik's smug expression pushed her temper over the edge. Kiara reached deep into herself until her connection with Kerian was all that she could feel. Using his muscle memory she reached back and let her fist fly with every ounce of strength she possessed.

Darik was unprepared for such a violent reaction to his prank. Kiara's fist hit him squarely in the jaw and his head snapped to the side at the force of the blow. Without a pause Kiara hurled her full weight at Darik, knocking him to the ground. It was only as he looked up at Kiara with a shocked expression in his black eyes that she became aware of what she had done. Somehow she had channeled her brother's strength and managed to put down a student far more skilled than she. His normally neat white hair had come loose from its ponytail and his state of disarray only emphasized the sudden fear that shown in his eyes as he looked at her. The fear in Darik's eyes was quickly replaced by hate. His target, the weakling of the lodge, had bested him. His reputation would be shattered. He glanced quickly at Vorn and Cleek, their worried expressions replaced by a strange sort of dawning understanding as they realized his rule was over.

As teachers and other students began rushing into the courtyard, Darik stood quickly, not wanting anyone to realize that he had been bested by the slip of a girl in front of him. Kiara's teacher quickly reached them and took in the scene in front of her. "What happened here?" she inquired, her voice snapping with irritation at the interruption. Kiara was momentarily stunned speechless, not certain how to respond to the inquiry. Darik seized on his chance, quickly stepping forward to launch into his explanation. "Lady K'lear, I was crossing the courtyard with my companions, when Kiara stepped into my path and accosted me. During the altercation I'm afraid I dumped the contents of my cauldron on her. It was purely self defense you understand. I was utterly shocked at such physical violence from a student of the lodge. However this is not the first time she has snapped and allowed her rage to control her."

Kiara's jaw gaped open at the twisted tail Darik wove regarding the events that had just unfolded. Lady K'lear listened in silence until Darik was done, her eyes narrowed at the story laid before her. Kiara's anger rose again at the lies spilling out of Darik's mouth. Her fingers curled into claws at her side and she couldn't prevent her lip from pealing back form her teeth, a silent growl resonating in her throat as she listened to the charges laid against her. When Darik finished speaking she had regained her voice and snarled a response. "You twisted, egotistical, lying serpent. I'll smash your…"

Before she got deeply into her rant, Lady K'lear's voice interrupted her. "That is enough Kiara. I believe you have demonstrated your lack of control enough today; no need to add a foul tongue and threatened violence to the list of charges against you." Nodding to Darik she continued. "You may go back to your schedule. As for you Kiara, you will go to your dorm and remain there until Headmaster Xon Quexill can see to you."

Kiara started to protest, "But…"

Lady K'lear's eyes narrowed into icy slits. "Dismissed!" Her tone stifled any further arguments Kiara might have made. With a sullen expression she trudged off to her dorm, shooting Darik an evil expression as she left. Darik stayed at Lady K'lear's side until Kiara left the courtyard. His expression remained wary, as though he expected further attacks. Once she had disappeared into the Lodge's halls he made his way in the opposite direction, his steps reserved and much more cautious than usual. Lady K'lear's eyes swept the crowd that remained loitering in the vicinity. "The disturbance has been handled, go back to your routines at once."

Lady K'lear remained where she was until the courtyard cleared before making her way over to the spot that Kiara had been sitting. She picked up the discarded textbook and closed it gently. Her expression was thoughtful as she also exited the courtyard.

Kiara had been in her room for several hours. The room itself was tiny, the stark walls barren of any decorations or tapestries. A crude wooden bench and chair that sat against the wall were the only furniture in the room besides her cot. She lay across the narrow cot and stared at a tiny black beetle that was making its way across the ceiling. She didn't know what would happen to her now. She had seen Headmaster Xon Quexill several times and he had always struck her as a rather sullen man. His fits of temper were few and far between, but she had been told that when they occurred they were legendary.

No one had disturbed her since she had returned to her room and she was beginning to feel restless. Giving a sigh she bounced off of the bed and began pacing the narrow confines of the room. Her white novice robe lay in a dingy puddle on the floor, discarded after she had changed into her comfortable pants and shirt. She wrinkled her nose at the pungent odor rising from the wadded mess. Once she was released from her confinement she would clean it as soon as possible. A knock sounded on the door and she jumped in surprise before spinning to see who had finally come for her.

The door opened to reveal Daeva. The woman wore a surprisingly sympathetic expression on her face and Kiara was surprised at the relief she felt from seeing her old nanny. She ran to Daeva and threw her thin arms about the woman's waist. When she spoke she couldn't contain the hope in her voice. "Daeva, thank the gods! Have you come to take me home? Is father over his anger now?"

Daeva allowed Kiara to embrace her for only a moment before extracting herself from the girl's arms. Her voice was firm as she explained the situation. "Your behavior here has done nothing to prove to your father that you have learned anything about control. He is close to washing his hands of you. However, I did warn him that this was not the right place for you. Brush your hair and we shall go meet your father in the Headmaster's office."

Kiara nodded her head as she tried to conceal the small sob that caught in her throat. She rubbed the back of her hand across her nose, using the movement to hide her head so that Deava would not see the moisture gathering in her eyes. Kiara walked hastily to her desk where her brush lay and with jerky movements pulled the bristles through her tangled locks. Once her emotions were again under control, she put her brush down and spoke to Daeva. "I am ready now."

Together they made their way through the somber halls. Passing students would stare at her--their eyes filled with reproach and condemnation--before leaning over to speak in hushed whispers to their companions. Kiara's cheeks heated in shame but she held her head high and did her best to ignore the insults and stares. Daeva walked at her side in silence. Occasionally Kiara would catch the woman looking at her with a strange expression on her face but something told her that now was not the time to ask questions.

When they reached the Headmaster's offices Kiara could hear two voices inside the room but the thick wood of the door prevented her from making out what they were saying. Daeva knocked twice and the door was quickly opened. Inside Kiara saw her father sitting opposite the Headmaster, Xon Quexill. Xon was an angular man. His white hair was pulled back in a severe style that only emphasized his pointed nose and sharp chin. He wore a dark green robe with black embroidery that depicted ancient symbols of power. His gray eyes settled on Kiara with a look of annoyance.

"So this is the one that has caused such uproar in my lodge." Xon's voice was strong and tinted with coldness as he continued. "Come closer child and let me look upon you."

At her father's nod of approval she brought herself within the Headmaster's reach. He reached out his hand and took her chin in a firm grip. He examined her face closely before settling his piercing gaze directly on her eyes. Kiara could see power swirling in their gray depths as he scrutinized her. The fingers on her chin were cold and she felt as though the warmth of her body was being pulled from her with that purposeful touch. Kiara remained passive in his grasp, unable to move from the contact. A feeling of panic began to rise inside of her, quickly followed by a flash of anger at the helplessness washing though her. Just as she felt shivers begin to take hold of her, she found that she could fight back. Power sizzled across her skin, a prickling like static but a hundred times more powerful leapt from her skin to his, causing him to retract his hand from her face.

Kiara's father looked on with a confused expression; Kiara noticed a surprising expression of pride in Daeva's eyes before she looked away. Xon shook his hand for a moment before clearing his throat and continuing. "Yes, I believe that settles it." He settled back into his chair and continued as though nothing of importance had happened. "Your daughter does not belong here. Her behavior is only the smallest of reasons for this. She has no affinity for the arts practiced here. I believe you may find more luck within the Guildhall that houses The Spurned."

Kiara's father stood and bowed before the Headmaster. "Thank you for your words of wisdom Headmaster Quexill. I will enroll her there immediately." Rion D'oyle nodded at Daeva, continuing his train of thought. "Go to her room and gather her things. We shall head to the school of magic directly from here." Daeva nodded and left the room silently. Kiara knew that Daeva's organization skills were so meticulous that her luggage may arrive to the new school before she did. Her father looked upon her with a cold stare and Kiara could not help but feel chilled at the lack of emotion in his eyes. He again bid the Headmaster a good evening, showing great respect for the man's position. Rion then made his way wordlessly past Kiara and she fell automatically into step behind him. Unused to such treatment from him she remained quiet, not wanting to draw his attention while he remained in the grips of his temper.

Daeva caught up with them at the Lodge's entrance and the three of them continued down the dark streets in silence. Kiara couldn't keep her steps from lightening as they traveled. Even though she wasn't going home, she knew that each step took her closer to her brother. Both The Indigo Brotherhood and The Spurned guildhalls were in the Neriak Commons. The chances that they would be able to see each other had greatly increased.

It didn't take them long to reach the Guildhall of The Spurned. This guild hall was much smaller than the Lodge of the Dead. It stood only three stories high. The main building housed both the library and the schoolrooms. The dormitory was slightly smaller with brown stone walls that sagged from age. Rion gave the bell pull a hearty tug and Kiara could hear discordant tones sounding within the hall. After several minutes a shuffling noise could be heard from beyond the door. Next the sound of locks being turned could be heard and finally that noise was followed by the squeaking of hinges as the door slowly swung open.

The door was opened by an old Tier'Dal man. His short white hair was thinning on top; several strands had been pulled over his balding scalp attempting to hide his blue skin. He wore a tattered brown robe and wire rimmed spectacles were perched on his bulbous nose; behind the spectacles his bright green eyes were surprisingly youthful. "Can I help you?" His voice was thin and waspish.

Rion replied. "Yes, I wish to enroll my daughter into your Guild."

"Really?" the old Tier'Dal's tone was skeptical. He bent over and examined Kiara's features. "This one doesn't look too bright. Perhaps you should try the cleric's guild."

Kiara's mouth gaped at the insult, her hands fisted at her sides as she felt her temper heating yet again. Daeva laid a restraining hand on her shoulder and looked at the other Tier'Dal critically. Kiara's father also was surprised at the abruptness of the other elf's statement. "I really think this would be something best discussed with the headmaster. Is she available?"

The older elf started to respond when another voice came from behind him. "What is going on here?" This one was a middle aged Tier'Dal woman with a tall, statuesque figure. Her hair was pulled tightly back in a bun, its blackness showing faint purple highlights. Her violet robes were pressed and hung in neat folds around her. Her eyes were sharp as she took in the scene before her. Looking at the old man her eyes narrowed in irritation. "Really Morgase, that is quite enough. Drop that illusion this instant."

The old man shrugged his shoulders briefly before his form shivered and dissolved away. In place of the old elf a young girl now stood. She appeared to be a little bit older than Kiara. Her light blue skin held slight silver undertones but most surprising was her hair. It was plaited into two braids that hung past her shoulders; the color was a deep garnet, the shade of blood before air has a chance to alter it. The only thing that remained the same was the color of the girl's eyes. The emerald orbs sparkled in amusement at some untold joke.

The older woman gripped Morgase by the shoulder and pulled her back from the doorway. The child winced slightly at the steely grip but cooperated quickly. "Please excuse her behavior, she is still a youth and subject to its impetuousness. I am Headmistress Herana F'lair, how may I help you." Rion gaped at Morgase, momentarily speechless. Deava quickly jumped in to fill the silence.

"This is Lord Rion D'oyle and his daughter Kiara. Your guild has been recommended to us to help further her training."

Herana smiled and Kiara could almost see her counting the coins in her head. "Wonderful! My hall will be thrilled to accept another gifted student. Won't you come in?" Herana held the door wide in invitation. She pointed to one of the benches in the entrance hall, "Morgase, wait there until I am finished and can instruct you further. Use this time to consider the importance of serenity." Gesturing to another door in the hallway she continued, "If you would follow me we can discuss your daughter's enrollment."

Kiara followed her father until Daeva stopped her at the door. "You wait out here Kiara, perhaps contemplation of serenity would do you good as well." Daeva finished by pointing to yet another bench in the hallway. "Don't move a muscle until we get back out." The door closed behind Daeva with a resounding thump leaving the children alone in the hallway.

Kiara perched herself on the bench, her feet dangling just off of the floor. At first she did her best not to stare at the other child in the hallway but her gaze kept coming back to the other girl with the strange coloring. The other girl was staring back at her; an expression of amused contemplation in her eyes. When their gazes met Morgase sent Kiara a conspiratory wink. Kiara couldn't seem to stop herself from grinning back. Soon they both dissolved into giggles, sharing their amusement without ever having said a word.

All too soon the office door again opened, revealing Rion shaking hands with the Headmistress. "Her belongings will arrive shortly." He continued in a business-like manner

"Of course, we will see that she gets settled immediately." Herana made her way out into the hallway, her eyes falling on Morgase. "Since your roommate has recently moved on, Kiara will be your new roommate. Show her to your dorm and help her get settled."

Morgase jumped to her feet and bowed before Herana, "At once Headmistress." Turning to Kiara she continued. "This way please." Kiara also got to her feet and took one last look at her father who ignored her as if she was not even there. With a resigned sigh she followed behind Morgase.

Morgase led Kiara deeper into the guildhall. Their footfalls echoed quietly off the stone walls. Before long they came to a narrow stairway. Morgase started up the stairs taking several steps at a time; Kiara's shorter legs made it hard for her to keep up. After they reached the first landing Kiara found herself huffing, "Hang on a minute will you, I need to catch my breath."

"I noticed. Kinda puny aren't you?"

"Not really, I'm just not used to dashing up the stairs. What's your rush?"

"I'm hoping to get to our room with enough time to chat before we get summoned to dinner." Morgase tapped her foot expectantly, "Have you got your breath back yet?"

Kiara nodded her head, "Yea, I'm ready."

Morgase reached back and took Kiara's hand before taking off down the hallway at a sprint. They came across two other students who quickly stepped out of Morgase's way--her urgency was apparently considered common place. Several twists and turns later Morgase came to an abrupt halt in front of their room. "This is it."

Kiara grinned as she had to hastily sidestep to keep from running into Morgase. "You remind me of my brother." Kiara commented as Morgase opened the door.

Morgase skipped into the room and plopped down on the unmade cot with a bounce. "Really? You've got a brother? What's he like?"

The inside of the dorm room was cramped. It contained two cots, two desks and one rather lopsided wardrobe. All the pieces were mismatched and sagging, indicating that they had been used for many generations. Kiara sat down softly on the cot opposite Morgase and pulled her leg up under her. She began to describe her brother and their friendship. Something about Morgase made Kiara feel comfortable confiding in her.

Morgase shared with Kiara her own background. Morgase had grown up on the streets of Neriak with her mother. She had never know her father and her mother had never spoken if him. She did know that he had been a light elf. The fact that she was a common bastard was made even worse by the knowledge that she was a half-breed; her years on the streets had been rough to say the least. Luckily, her skill with illusion magic had shown up early. She had been taken on by the guild as a charity case two years ago and lived here ever since.

As the two girls chatted Kiara began sensing a feeling of growing unease. She tried to push it off but eventually the feeling was so strong that she had to reach out to make certain that Kerian was alright. She got an image of darkness and being bound when the pain began. Kiara fell back on her bed in surprise she could feel blows landing on her flesh from every direction. She cried out in confusion and pain, "KERIAN!"

Morgase looked on with frantic concern, not knowing what was happening to her new friend. Kiara continued to writhe on the bed, trying desperately to ward of the kicks that she could feel landing on her stomach and legs. She let out a whimper as a knock sounded on the door. Morgase put her finger to her lips and indicated that Kiara must remain quiet. Thinking quickly Morgase threw her own blanket over Kiara and went to answer the knock. Outside the door stood two of the school's servants, holding Kiara's heavy trunk. She stepped outside the room and closed the door behind her. "Ah thank you both. Just leave that here, Kiara is tired and I don't want you to disturb her rest. We will take them from here."

The two servants shot her a funny look before shuffling off down the hallway. Morgase's shoulders sagged against the door in relief; whatever was happening to Kiara she didn't want anyone else to know about it. She sensed a kindred spirit in Kiara and she didn't want to risk loosing that. In a society made of people whose idea of perfection consisted of grandiose displays of hate and loathing a sense of humor could be almost unheard of.

When she went back into the room Kiara lay still under the blanket. She tentatively reached out a hand to touch Kiara's shoulder. At the soft contact Kiara let out a small sob and threw her arms around Morgase, her voice muffled in the other girl's shoulder. "It was horrible! They beat him so badly and I couldn't do anything to help!"

"Who did?"

"Two other students at the brotherhood. They tied him up and didn't stop hitting him until a teacher stepped in. When we were connected I could feel everything he felt but I couldn't stop them!"

Kiara pulled back and looked at Morgase with tear-stained eyes. A large purple bruise could be seen spreading across Kiara's cheek. "This isn't how people should treat each other."

Morgase pulled Kiara into a hug and rested her cheek on Kiara's hair. The two held onto each other offering what comfort they could. Whispering to no one in particular Morgase replied to the quiet room. "No, they shouldn't."

Outside of the room the ghostly figure of a woman could be seen briefly leaning against the worn wooden door as though listening to the conversation within. A wistful smile crossed her lips before she faded into the shadows, unseen by any who passed in the hall.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Twelve years later

The door creaked open letting a weak beam of light into the tiny room. Kiara snuggled deeper into her pillow, pulling the worn blanket over her head as she did so. The door closed again and the faint sound was followed by a short silence. Soft footsteps could be heard coming closer to her bed. Kiara gripped the corner of her pillow tightly waiting for the perfect moment. She could hear the faint sounds of the other person's breathing, a slight hitch in the pattern signaled the attack. Rolling to the side she whipped her pillow out from under her and swung it in an arc at the other girls head. The pillow made contact with a soft thump and Morgase was knocked of balance and tumbled into bed on top of Kiara. With a breathless laugh Morgase brought her own pillow up to smack soundly across Kiara's shoulder.

"You wretch! You were supposed to still be asleep!"

"If only I could sleep through that! You make enough noise to raise the dead."

Morgase sat up and grinned as she flipped her long red tresses out of her face. With a mischievous twinkle in her green eyes she proceeded to tickle Kiara's ribs. "Well it was time for you to be up anyway; Enseriss is looking for us. We are supposed to help her today with the novices."

Kiara fought between giggling and groaning as she tried to protect her ribcage. "Help with the novices? But that will take all day, and today is the day…"

Morgase abruptly ceased her playfulness. Her gaze bore into Kiara, a hopeful expression dawning in her eyes. "He's coming back today?" 

Kiara smiled back at Morgase, offering affirmation of her conclusion. "Yes, Kerian is coming back from his first tour of duty. He's safe and healthy, and he says he has much to tell us of the overworld. He mentioned that he had been stationed at an outpost on the continent of Kunark."

Morgase stood quickly and began pacing the room, her movements agitated. Looking everywhere but at Kiara she continued nervously, "You must be so relieved. I know how much you have missed your brother." 

Kiara rolled her eyes at Morgase's behavior and with a careless motion threw her pillow again at the other girl. "Don't be so stupid. We're both relieved to hear that he's home. Did you really think I missed how you both behaved last time we were together? He likes you too; you don't have to hide your feelings from me."

A deep blush colored Morgase's cheeks purple and she wrung her hands in a helpless sort of gesture. "I think my feelings are stronger than just like. He makes me feel special and I want to be with him all the time. But when he's around it's almost like a fever, my skin tingles and my heart races. I don't know what this feeling is, but it's very strong."

Kiara climbed off of her bed and embraced Morgase, wrapping her arms tightly around her only friend's waist. "I don't know what you are feeling either but I know he feels the same way. When he contacted me I could tell how much he wanted to see you again. If it is a sickness, take comfort that you are both infected." Pulling back she looked at Morgase and smiled again, "Now what do you say we disappear for the day. Enseriss can handle the novices on her own I am sure."

Morgase nodded and together the girls began getting ready. Kiara dressed in a plain red robe and brushed her hair out. She plaited the long ebony strands into two tight braids which she tied off and left to hang down her back. Morgase shook out the wrinkles from the green robe she wore and also brushed her hair. She pined back the sides but left the majority of the red tresses loose to cascade down her back in a mass of curls.

The girls tiptoed out of their room, carefully closing the door behind them. They made their way quickly through the deserted halls. Most of the students were already in the dining hall. The muted din coming from that direction indicated that breakfast was in full swing. Coming from the other direction they heard the tapping of sandals on the stone floor. The girls were able to duck into the kitchens just as one of the academy's teachers rounded the corner into the hallway they had been standing in.

The kitchen was a large room with six wooden tables set up in three rows. Four large brick fireplaces were built into the back kitchen wall. Cooks and scullery maids rushed about the kitchen working on various stages of food preparation. The warm smell of freshly baked bread permeated the room. Some of the kitchen help looked up from their duties, startled by the girls' sudden intrusion into the kitchens. Most went on about their duties paying no mind to the pair. Two large doors stood directly opposite the main fireplace, they led directly into the dining hall. Another door was on the far wall, it let out to the back ally behind the guildhall.

Kiara put her finger to her lips indicating that the servants should remain silent. All but one of the kitchen staff returned to their work, industriously scrubbing pots and pans or intently stirring steaming mixtures over the hot kitchen fires. One boy, who was in the middle of plucking a chicken, watched them a moment longer than the others; an amused grin could be seen spreading across his face. He gave Kiara and Morgase an impudent wink before once again bending over his task with diligence.

Kiara and Morgase wove their way through the kitchen, deftly snatching hot rolls and spiced sausages from the tables around them as they went. Once they reached the far wall they let themselves quietly out the door into the alleyway. The quiet in the alleyway was startling after the noise from the kitchen. The dimness made even more evident by the dingy mold growing from the walls. To the left the sound of carts and footsteps could be heard passing on the main street.

Morgase led the way out of the alley, occasionally looking back to make certain that Kiara was following. Kiara was grinning, her blood surging with adrenaline as she trailed behind. The two girls reached the main street and slipped smoothly into the flow of the crowded road. They followed the street for several minutes until they reached a side area of the city. The street curved in a circle around a large stone fountain.

The fountain depicted an armored shadowknight, his sword raised in victory, standing over a kneeling opponent. The opponent's head was thrown back, his expression one of great pain and the observer could clearly see that the man's throat had been slit. Water spouted from the 'wound' and flowed down the man's chest and arms into the pool of water at his knees. The base of the fountain had a ledge that was perfect for sitting on. This area of the city had less traffic and the girls took a few minutes to sit down and catch their breath. 

Kiara gazed at the fountain for a few minutes, her eyes showing revulsion at the imagery. Morgase continued to watch the street, wanting to be certain they had not been pursued.

"I hate this thing."

Morgase barely spared a glance for the fountain. "It is rather revolting, isn't it?"

Kiara pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them, still staring at the fountain. "Do you suppose that the other races are any different?" 

"Well the Ogres and Trolls aren't any different, just more like animals." Morgase leaned back and let her fingers trail in the water. "The say the Halflings are sneaky little thieves that would backstab you in an instant, or at least as high as they can reach anyways." 

"What about the other elves?"

Morgase snorted, "The ones that Innoruuk rescued us from? The teachers say they are worse than any other races out there."

"I saw one once"

"Really? When? How?"

"When I was younger my brother wanted to go see an arena fight. We snuck in and watched from the back. The elf that emerged had skin that looked like gold in the firelight. She had brown hair and wore tattered leather armor. They pushed her into the arena without even giving her a weapon. And the opponent that they released for her to fight was a manticore. She didn't even have a chance and you could tell that she knew it; but she faced our king and queen with a certain amount of dignity in her stance." Kiara paused for a moment as she remembered the events of that day. "I'll never forget the carnage that I witnessed that day." Kiara gave a light shudder as if chilled before shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

Morgase put her hand comfortingly on Kiara's shoulder, "Well, I never said that our teachers told the truth." Kiara placed her hand over Morgase's and squeezed gently, letting her know how much the comforting touch was appreciated. Morgase continued, her voice resigned, "But really, what else could a society be like?"

The two girls looked at the people around them, Tier'Dal bustling from one place to another with one thing in common. Whether commoner or noble, their expressions ranged from bored to malicious. Thieves sulked in ally corners, their sly eyes dancing from person to person, constantly seeking their next target. Guards stalked the streets, stopping in their patrol now and then to hassle those that did not get out of their way quickly enough. Nobles were the only ones that didn't seem to be in a rush. They took their time strolling along the streets sneering at those they considered beneath them.

A young boy darted out from an alleyway onto the street near them, tripping over a crate of fruit in front of a store and scattering the crates contents into the street. The store owner dashed outside and roughly grabbed up the young boy by the hair, causing the child to yelp in pain. As the store owner roughly shook the boy another man appeared from the shadows carrying a switch. The boy was dressed in rags and had bare feet; Kiara could see welts across the boy's back through the thin shirt. The man and the store owner argued briefly before the man pulled a few coins from his purse and handed them to the store owner. The owner then released the boy and want back inside his business, leaving the man to haul the boy away by the ear striking him with the switch as they went. Few people passing even noted the transaction and those that did smiled in amusement.

After watching the altercation, Kiara sighed heavily. "I don't know Morga, but I pray that they aren't all like this one"

When the two girls had enough rest they made their way to the Foreign Quarter of Neriak. Engrossed in their own thoughts and conversation they never noticed the cloaked figure that followed them, or his skeletal companion.

The Foreign Quarter was just beginning to bustle with the day's activity. Merchants hurried to set up their wares on every street corner. The girls passed one particular tavern where a revolting smell of boiled cabbage wafted out of the doorway. The sign above the door read 'Orga's Gud Eats.' Just past the doorway Kiara could see a large ogre woman wearing a plain dress and tattered apron standing on the far side of the room stirring an iron kettle. She shot Morgase a grin and they both giggled at the situation.

A human merchant had a cart of jewelry in front of him, Kiara and Morgase stopped to look at the glittering array. Kiara saw an amethyst bracelet that she couldn't resist trying on. As she did so Morgase held up a matching pair of earrings for her to see.

"So what time will Kerian be home?"

Kiara closed her eyes and appeared as though in deep thought. She reached out with her mind and touched her brother's consciousness. She got a vague image of a boat docking. The land ahead appeared to be sand covered dunes. The harsh light had bleached the sand white from continuous exposure. Kerian responded to her mental query and moments later she relayed his words to Morgase. "His boat just docked in the desert of Ro. He expects to be home in just a few hours within the hour." She continued with a smug expression, "He was most pleased to hear that you would be with me today."

Morgase blushed again and her ears twitched in embarrassment. The merchant gave them both a curious expression and Morgase hurried Kiara along before they drew any more attention. As the girls moved along the cloaked figure continued to follow them; always staying just far enough away not to draw their attention. He was eventually joined by two hooded companions and the three spoke briefly before again parting ways.

The girls continued to peruse the market's wares, stopping occasionally as they noticed something of interest. As they were looking at some fabrics Kiara felt a tingle of unease slide down her back. She tried to subtly survey her surroundings but nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. Morgase noticed her sudden tension almost immediately. 

"What's wrong?" She whispered urgently.

Kiara shook her head, "Nothing. I felt as though we were being watched for a moment, but the feeling is gone now." She smiled in apology. "Don't mind me."

Morgase smiled back and linked her arm with Kiara's, "I never do." 

After their shopping the girls made their way to the main gate of Neriak. A high stone wall and gatehouse separated Neriak from the upper world. It was patrolled by the city guard and several sentries stood watch in the parapets of the gatehouse. It was the only defense for the foreign quarter of the city from the upper world. Beyond the gate was a stone path that would lead up to the surface and directly into the Nektulos Forest. As the girls settled down to wait for Kerian's homecoming, neither of them noticed the three figures creeping up behind them from the darkness.

Kiara looked down momentarily to check her purse when a large bag was thrown over her head and torso. She gagged at the dusty smell of the cloth and started to struggle to lift the material back over her head. An arm wrapped around her waist, hampering her movements. She drew in her breath to yell and pain exploded over her temple, the world went black around her.

Kerian marched in formation with his comrades as the small troupe made their way across the dunes at an even pace; his chain mail tunic clinked softly with the rhythmic motion. He was thankful that his shoulder-length black hair was tightly braided, leaving some of his neck bare to feel the slight movement of desert air. Even in the heat he found himself hard pressed to keep from bouncing on his feet; none of the others seemed to share Kerian's excitement to be returning home. He worked hard to maintain a serious expression, knowing that his unusual sense of relief and happiness would cause raised eyebrows by the commander. He had learned over the years not to draw attention to himself; it caused the others to look upon him with disdain. 

Even after all these years Kerian could not understand why he did not share the common attitude of the other soldiers. Kerian was happiest when combating a worthy foe, when the fight challenged his abilities and made him improve himself. The others always seemed happier when they could cause the most carnage and bloodshed. He let out a short sigh and concentrated on the horizon in front of him, anxious to see relief from the glairing brightness of the sun on the sands. The commander rode at the front of the line and as Kerian watched the commander gave the symbol to halt. He looked ahead for a moment before turning to the troupe. "Ahead there is a skirmish between some orcs and a group of humans. Who's up for some sport!" The dark elves cheered at the thought. The commander gave a signal and as one they charged over the dune and down into the valley where the skirmish was ongoing.

As they charged Kerian evaluated the situation. The humans numbered five still standing, one had already fallen to the orc horde. The orcs numbered seven still fighting, four had been felled by the humans. His respect grew; despite the difference in numbers Kerian was certain that, given time, the humans would have won the battle. He gripped his sword and shield tighter and rushed headlong into the fight. He had caught sight of one who he felt certain was a cleric battling two orcs on his own. Kerian gave a mighty battle cry and aimed for the orc on the cleric's right. The orc turned just in time to parry his strike and their swords sang with the impact. The orc wore well-used leather armor and held a short sword in one hand and a spiked club in the other.

The orc grunted at the disruption of the fight but quickly regained his momentum. The sweat rolled off of the orc in foul waves; his attack was surprisingly agile when he made it. Kerian side stepped the orc's swing and stepped forward, swinging his shield at the orc's shoulder in an attempt to knock the orc of balance. He made contact and the orc stumbled slightly, falling to his knees. Kerian spun around to take advantage of the orc's position; raising his sword he swung downwards to cleave the orc's head in two. The orc brought his sword up at the last minute, blocking Kerian's attack. The two remained locked in this position for moments, each trying to overpower the other. The orc spoke then, his voice guttural. "You have ruined you own lands Dark elf, you'll not ruin mine." 

Kerian laughed at the serious expression on the orc's face. Speaking in common he replied, "Look around you. Your home is a desert wasteland. It… is… already… ruined."

The orc's expression clouded with rage. He snarled and with a new burst of strength pushed up, knocking Kerian back a step. The orc then leapt to his feat and swung both of his weapons at Kiaran's head. Kerian dropped to his knee, letting the weapons pass harmlessly over his head and thrust his sword forward into the orc's soft belly. Rising again to his feet, Kerian drew his blade up through the orc's stomach before withdrawing his weapon. The orc fell to the sand, blood foaming from his lips as he gasped in pain. Kerian wasted no time before swinging again, this time his sword separated the orc's head from his shoulders, ending the pain.

Kerian turned in time to see the human landing a killing blow to the other orc. The human stood still for a moment, his breath coming in gasps. Kerian could see that the human held his left arm at a stiff angle, the shield hanging limply in his grasp. The human was wearing plate mail armor and held a steel mace in his right hand. Kerian waited as long as he could before attacking. All around them he could hear the din of battle; armor clanking, weapons clashing, grunting and shouting of opponents, the sounds all blended together into almost a melody.

Once Kerian was certain the human had caught his breath, he attacked. Testing a theory, he feigned an attack at the human's left side. Rather than meeting his attack the human stepped away, confirming that the injury was serious. Kerian spun quickly and aimed another attack, this time at the human's right side. The human blocked with his mace and for a moment the two stood close enough for their breath's to mingle. Kerian noticed that the human was young, his eyes still shown with fear of battle. He whispered quietly to the human. "Are you a cleric?"

The human's eyes widened in surprise that he had spoken. He did not reply except to say, "May the might of Marr smite you."

Kerian leapt back as heat engulfed his skin. He braced himself and allowed the wave of pain to pass through his body. Once it passed he grinned at his opponent, "Good". The human shot him a confused expression before attacking; he swung low at Kerian's legs with his mace. Kerian nimbly hopped over the swing and used the chance to step close and again lock weapons with his opponent. Using the closeness to again hide an attempt at conversation, "You and your companions are outnumbered, you cannot win. But there may be a way yet to survive this."

The human looked at Kerian curiously. He stepped back for a moment to compose himself before again returning an attack, this time it was the human who locked their weapons together. Also speaking in whispers he replied, "Why should I believe you?"

Kerian locked his gaze with this human's, blue eyes boring into brown; putting as much sincerity as he could into his expression he answered, "My kindred will desecrate the bodies of your companions so that none can be resurrected. I have been shown a better way, if you can resurrect your allies I will do my best to get my kindred to leave before they have removed the deceased's heads."

They broke apart and circled each other for a moment, evaluating the situation and each other. Around them the battle was drawing to a close, most of the orcs lay dead or dying, and only a few of the human's still fought. The human seemed to consider the situation in an instant; he gave Kerian an almost imperceptible nod of agreement. Kerian didn't waist a moment; he dashed forward, striking at the human's knee with his sword. The human's knee buckled under the pressure and he fell to the sand, dropping his mace in the process. 

Walking up behind him Kerian pulled off the human's rusted helm and grabbed the human's hair, leaning his head back so that he could look into the his eyes. Calmness settled over the young man, he had made peace with his decision. Kerian placed the flat of his bloodied sword to the man's throat; He slid the steel across, coating the man's throat with blood but not cutting the flesh beneath. Before letting the human fall he whispered into the human's ear, "May your god bring you happiness."

The human fell to the ground with a thump and Kerian stood over him, a feeling of unease growing in his stomach. He couldn't have done anything else but something didn't sit right with him. As he made his way to his commanders' side he watched the ending of the battle around him. His companions were grinning with enjoyment of the fight; Kerian couldn't help comparing their expressions with those of a pack of rabid hyenas he had come across in his travels. There was just something sinister about their delight in the bloodshed.

The commander sat astride his black stallion, surveying the revilement of his troops. Kerian approached him cautiously, not certain of his mood. "Invigorating fight, wasn't it?"

The older dark elf laughed heartily, "Indeed, it's a great way to get the blood flowing after a long sea voyage."

Kerian nodded in agreement, "Of course," Kerian watched as the last of the enemies were felled and his allies began to decapitate the remaining bodies to ensure that resurrection would be impossible. "Tell me, is it true that you are supposed to have an audience with Seloxia Punox when we return home?" he asked casually."

Kerian saw the commander grin proudly and begin to nod, until he realized how long the battle had delayed them. Seloxia was not known for her patience and the delay would certainly make them late getting home. The commander wheeled his horse about and ordered the men to leave the bodies to the sand. Kerian hid a smile at the ease with which he had been able to lead the commander to giving the order to leave; now the fallen humans would have a chance, if the priest could resurrect them in time. As he found his place in the march order he rubbed at his temple, odd that it was hurting, he couldn't remember being struck there. He knew that his actions would be considered traitorous by his companions. But he could not bring himself to kill another unnecessarily, especially after what he had learned in his travels. 

About a month ago he had become separated from his companions and found himself in a mountain range that he was unfamiliar with. He had stumbled into a goblin encampment where there were a dozen goblins herding an angry looking light elf into a mining shaft. When they caught sight of him several of them broke off and attempted to surround him. In an instant he made a decision, alone he could not hope to win, but if the other elf would work with him they might stand a fighting chance.

Kerian had dashed through the pack of goblins, ducking and weaving around their attacks until her reached the elf. She wore a simple blue robe and her red hair was tied up in a ponytail. He quickly sliced through the ropes that bound her arms behind her back, her eyes flashed in surprise but she also wasted no time. As he turned and again faced the goblin horde she began chanting quickly in an ancient tongue. 

The next few minutes were chaos; spells erupted, blood spurted, and anguished cries filled the air. They were on the verge of defeat when two more people joined in the battle. From out of the trees came a volley of arrows that cut down each goblin they hit. A barbarian male charged into the fray with his swords swinging. With the additional reinforcements it did not take long to defeat the remaining goblins. Kerian was facing his last foe when the goblin made a lucky strike. The bronze sword pierced his leather armor mere inches from his heart. The barbarian swung his blade and decapitated the goblin as Kerian fell to his knees clutching his chest. The barbarian looked at him for a minute and turned to leave. The light elf said something in an unknown tongue and the barbarian turned back to argue with her. Kerian had caught sight of a wood elf stepping from the forest just as his vision went black.

He awoke several hours later. The night sky was filled with stars and he was surprised to find that he was in no pain. He lay next to a campfire and a sweet aroma rose from the pot suspended over the fire. Three sets of eyes stared at him curiously. The high elf had been the first to speak. She had introduced herself and her companions and then thanked him for his help. Kerian was surprised by her willingness to speak with him. They had spent several hours chatting, discussing life, philosophy, and religion. Even the barbarian and the other elf had eventually joined in. He had left them the following morning but the probing questions that had been raised by that one encounter he had never forgotten.

He couldn't wait to get home and share his thoughts with his sister and Morgase. He had actually begun to think that there may be a better place for them. Kerian's skull throbbed again and he rubbed it trying to soothe the pain. A growing sense of unease filled his stomach as they entered the welcoming darkness of Nectulos Forest. Something was wrong.

The first thing that Kiara became aware of was the dull throbbing pain in her head. The second was the pain in her arms. They were pulled above her head and apparently tied to a pole above her, causing her entire weight to hang from them. She shifted slightly, putting more weight on her feet to relieve the pressure in her arms, the movement resulted in a burning rush of pain as the blood started to circulate in her arms again. She let out a moan and tried to open her eyes; through her blurred vision she saw a robed figure approach her, before her head was tilted back. A cup was placed to her lips and a low voice ordered her to drink. The liquid was thick and foul smelling. She gagged on the contents as her captor poured it into her mouth. She tried to close her lips to staunch the flow but her nose was then pinched depriving her of air. Unable to breathe she had no choice but to swallow the liquid as quickly as possible so that she could again inhale.

Once the cup was empty it was taken from her. She gasped and again tried to get her eyes to focus on her captor. He was tall for a dark elf with long white hair; he wore a black robe with purple inlay. Something about his face sparked a moment of recognition before the memory floated away. She blinked her eyes trying to clear away the cobwebs in her head. Instead of getting better the world remained blurry.

As her captor turned away and went to stoke the fire in the fireplace, she took the opportunity to examine her surroundings. She was in a room, probably an inn or tavern. A black rug was spread on the wooden floor. A luxurious king-sized bed stood in the middle of the room; despite the opulent linens on the bed Kiara could see shackles attached to each of the beds posts. Decorating the walls were different implements of torture, everything from paddles and whips to knives and leashes.

A log popped in the fireplace and Kiara tore her gaze away from the wall to again look at her captor. When she moved her head, her vision swam and the objects she had been looking at left streams behind them. The other elf stood up again and approached her. She closed her eyes to prevent the nauseating wave that his movement caused. He reached her side and used one finger to tilt her chin up so that he could look at her face, she was again struck by how familiar his face seemed. She licked her lips, trying to moisten their parched surface; he merely stared at her, an indefinable emotion swirling in his eyes.

She tried to speak, her words came out almost as muddled as her thoughts were. "Who… where… am I?'

"In one of the rentable rooms in the Maiden's Fancy." His low voice almost purred with smug self satisfaction.

"Why… What have you done to me?"

"I've given you a poison that muddles your mind, preventing spell casting and making your mind more malleable." He examined her eyes closely, "Its full effect should be on you by now."

"Why?" 

"I've decided to reenact an ancient ritual; and you, my dear, make a perfect sacrifice to Innoruuk."

Kiara blinked rapidly several times, "Who are…" her vision cleared for just a moment and she stared in utter horror at the man who held her captive. "Darik," she spoke his name, unable to keep the tremor of fear from her voice and began to vainly struggle against her bonds.

His eyes hardened with amusement at her struggles and he ran his finger along her cheek, through the soft trickle of blood that came from her temple. "Your struggles are futile, soon you will no longer even be able to summon the effort necessary to resist."

Kiara moaned in protest, her thoughts were desolate. _Nonononononono!_

_Kiara! Thank the gods! Where are you? Why have you not responded to my call? __  
_

_Nohe'stouching meIcantstophim._

Kerian's voice paused for a minute before he continued; his voice deadly calm. _Where are you?_

Kiara stilled her struggles, trying to concentrate on what Kerian was saying, his voice helping her to calm her scattered thoughts. _Maiden's inn… no fantasy…no.. I don't know!_

After her movements stilled Darik cut through the rope that had been holding her up. She collapsed into his arms, her legs unable to support her weight. He lifted her, his movements surprisingly gentle before he dropped her onto the bed. She lay sprawled in the same position that she fell. Her body felt as if weights were dragging it to the ground. For some reason she couldn't muster the energy to fight off the weakness in her limbs. Darik took a dagger off of the wall and began to cut away her robes, the cold metal edge of the dagger traced along her skin but he was careful to not let the blade scratch her flesh. When he was finished he stripped away the remnants of her robe leaving her body completely exposed. The air chilled her flesh causing her to become completely aware of her skin. Darik then moved out of her line of vision. She could hear the sounds of cloth rustling as he moved around the room.

Kiara closed her eyes, trying to will her thoughts into coherence when a loud scream shattered the silence of the room. Her eyes shot open, the sound had come from the room next door; she knew that voice, it belonged to Morgase. The screams went on and on; Kiara tried to call out to her to at least let her know that she wasn't alone. "Morgase!" but her voice came out in a whisper. The screaming cut off abruptly and Kiara closed her eyes; tears trickled from beneath her lids, wetting the sides of her face. The sound of her friend's suffering had helped to cut through the fog that clouded her mind. She knew Kerian would be looking for them, it was just a matter of time before he would save them.

Darik walked back into view. He had disrobed and now stood before her completely nude. Kiara's eyes darted over him, taking in several things at once; his cocky grin, the dagger of flesh that stood between his thighs and the one of steel that he still held in his hand.

_Oh gods Rian, they're hurting Morgase and he's going to rape me. Please, tell me you're almost here._

Kerian's reply came immediately, his voice hot with suppressed rage. _I'm almost there, stall him if you can. I'll need you to make some sort of noise when I get there so I know which room you're in._

Kiara stored that information and returned her attention to Darik, He was approaching the bed with a steady stride, his expression intent. He ran the edge of the blade along the flesh of her breast, lightly scratching her skin but still not drawing blood. "I've dreamed of this for years, you know." Kiara schooled her features into a blank expression, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing how badly he scared her. His satisfaction dimmed slightly at her lack of response. He laid the knife on the bed beside her and climbed on top of her legs to give him better access to her body. She rolled her eyes up and studied the ceiling, refusing to acknowledge his presence.

Darik leaned over her until she could smell the faint musk of the grave that followed a necromancer even in life. He ran his tongue from the base of her neck to her ear, leaving a most trail behind it. Breathing hotly in her ear he whispered "I've imagined the fear and hate filling your eyes as I plunge deep into your body. Honoring Innoruuk with the most sacred act of hate there is." Kiara inwardly flinched at his words but kept her expression calm and placid, conserving her energy for when she would need it most. He pulled back, anxious to see her response to his words. She continued to look at the ceiling and his brow furrowed in confusion, not understanding why she was not responding as expected.

He spread her legs, placing himself between them. His hands on her hips, he growled at her as he guided himself to her entrance. "Look at me." His white teeth flashed in the firelight. When she continued to look at the ceiling he grabbed her chin in a vice-like grip, forcing her to look at him. She did the only thing she could think of to remain defiant. She closed her eyes, refusing to respond to the fear in her heart. Darik's response was to draw back his arm and backhand her. Her head snapped to the side at the force of the blow. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth from where her teeth had cut into her cheek. Her cheek felt hot from where he had struck her, she knew that she would have a bruise for many days to come.

_I'm here Kiara, let me hear you!_

Kiara looked forward at Darik, he grinned and began to sink himself inch by painful inch into her body. She smiled at him, drew in her breath, and screamed for everything that she was worth. Darik smiled in ecstasy at the sound, at the same time burying himself to the hilt inside of her. He remained still for a moment, reveling in the tightness of her body. Her mind once again in chaos at the pain and degradation of what was being done to her she found the ability to fight back. She raised her hands, reaching with curved nails for Darik's face, desperately wanting to scratch his eyes out. He easily pinned her wrists to the bed, basking in the enjoyment of her futile struggles.

Moments later the door burst open, its hinges shattering against the force of the blow. Kerian rushed into the room, his eyes glowing with fury. He was across the room in two strides, pulling Darik off of her and punching the mage almost simultaneously. Darik gasped in surprise and fell to the ground at the force of the blow. Cursing darkly he got to his feet, "your sister deserved what she got, she's a filthy whore and you are no better." He fumbled around behind him, reaching for his staff that lay against the wall. Kerian reached out and grabbed Darik by the shoulder with his left hand. With his right he thrust his sword through the other elf's belly. Darik's face showed his surprise at the speed of the attack. As he slid to the floor, his life's blood draining from the stomach wound, his eyes showed his disbelief at his quick defeat.

Kerian went to his sister and gathered her into his arms. Using the sheet from the bed he covered her body and held her, rocking gently, trying to sooth her tears. Kiara just relaxed in his arms, letting her tears flow freely. Her body felt bruised and battered but the weakness was beginning to fade from her limbs. As her mind began to calm down she realized that there was still work to be done. "Kerian… next door… Morgase"

Kerian nodded quickly and helped Kiara to sit on the edge of the bed. Striding across the room he picked up the tattered remnants of her robe; after a quick examination he tossed the scraps into the fire with a dismissive grunt. Spying Darik's neatly folded clothes he grabbed up the other mage's robe and tossed it to Kiara. "Sorry sis, but this will have to do until we can get something else."

Using one hand Kiara held the sheet around her; she used her other to clumsily catch the robe that Kerian had thrown. "Fine, whatever. Go get Morgase."

Kerian ran from the room and she heard him pounding on the other door in the hallway. She tried to quickly dress herself, her hands shaking all the while. After a few failed tries she was able to slip the robe over her head. The fabric fell into place with a soft sigh and she was surprised to feel the fabric molding itself to her body. Only magical items of good quality would size themselves to the wearer. She was inordinately thankful that his smell did not cling to the fabric.

Kiara tested her legs, clinging to one of the bed's posts for support. From the hallway she heard an anguished cry and a feeling of cold dread began to grow in her stomach. She took several unsteady steps towards the door as something crashed against the wall. Staggering, she grabbed onto the door jam just before she collapsed completely. The sounds of battle from the next room stilled. Looking down the hallway Kiara saw a tavern employee climbing the stairs to investigate the disturbance. Kerian exited the other room; his expression was grim and he was covered head to foot in blood. The tavern worker took one look at him and turned on his heals, dashing down the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him.

Kiara looked at her brother and knew in an instant what was wrong. He hung his head, shame and regret filled his voice. "I was too late."

"What about a priest?" she started hopefully, "Perhaps they could res…"

Kerian shook his head, his expression defeated. Kiara gave a cry of denial, letting go of the door jam she staggered forward, trying to get to the room where her friend lay. Kerian caught her, preventing her from going to the other room. She buried her face in his shoulder and for several minutes they simply held each other, sharing their pain. Kiara caught the sounds of movement below them; giving a sniff she pulled back, whispering her words, "It's the guard, they are coming here."

"I will be held responsible for my actions. I murdered those mages; they had no chance for defense against me."

Kiara shook her head, "But what they did…"

"Will not excuse my rage."

"What can we do?"

"We can leave."

"And go where?"

Kerian's voice came out harsh but a new sense of purpose filled his eyes. "Anywhere but here."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kiara was groggy when she woke; her muscles hurt in many places and her cheek felt unbelievably tender. She was being carried on someone's back; she could feel cool metal chain mail links beneath her cheek and strong hands anchored her thighs, keeping her from falling. She inhaled deeply and could smell Kerian's cologne, a light sandalwood musk, beneath a layer of sweat. She opened her eyes and looked around. Trees towered over her head, their thick branches blocking the sky from her view. She shifted slightly, trying to ease the cramping of her muscles; Kerian grunted slightly at her movement; and she could feel weariness coming off of him in waves _You can put me down now; surly we can rest for a bit._

_We are almost to the edge of the forest; I want to get there before we pause._

Kiara wiggled again, trying to get Kerian to let go of her legs. _Put me down at least. I can walk again._

_Just sit still, you can't keep up with me yet. We'll travel faster this way until the drugs are out of your system._ The irritation in his tone was hard to miss.

Kiara settled again, her arms around Kerian's shoulders. He kept up a steady jogging pace, his sword hilt rhythmically banging against her thigh in time to his steps. Her hands drifted across the chain mail on his chest and she could feel bits of dried blood flaking off the metal links. She laid her head against the back of his and allowed her tears to flow freely down her cheeks and into his hair. The forest was silent except for the occasional sound of crickets chirping. Kerian could feel her tears trickling onto his neck and gave her legs a gentle squeeze in comfort. Soon the trees parted revealing a steeply sloping rock terrain.

Kerian gently released her, allowing her to slide to her feet before he staggered to a nearby boulder and sank to the ground, using the boulder as a backrest. Kiara stared in wonderment at the night sky revealed above the mountainous terrain. Millions of stars sparked against the dark tapestry of the night sky. The bright moon caressed her skin with light as she breathed in the smells of the forest. She was distracted from her reverie by Kerian's soft groan. She went to him and sank to the ground at his side, cuddling against him as they had done as children.

She could feel the emotion's churning in him; guilt and anger being the most prominent, with an underlying emotion that was hard to name. She ran her fingers over his face caressing the familiar surface. Using the slightest pressure she turned his head until their eyes met. Kerian's eyes shone with so much suppressed emotion his shoulders actually shook with it. His voice thick with sorrow he tried to speak. "Kiara…"

"Shhh." She put her finger to his lips to stop his words. She drew to her knees and held his cheeks in her hands. His eyes closed as she kissed his forehead. She softly kissed each of his eyelids next and ran her fingers through his tousled hair. His will finally collapsed; he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her to him. She cradled his head to her chest and rocked him tenderly as he cried.

As his sobs began to fade she settled back to his side, tucking herself under his arm as they stared together at the sky above them.

"It wasn't your fault Kerian, you got there as soon as you could."

"No, I didn't." his voice was drained of emotion.

Kiara looked up at him, confusion furrowing her brow. "What do you mean?"

He continued to look at the sky as though searching for answers. "When I reached the city gates and you were not there I grew worried. I searched the area but could find no sign of you. A woman kept appearing at the corners of my vision. She seemed to be beckoning me, but each time I turned to look at her directly she was gone." Kiara listened quietly, not wanting to disturb his narration. "I dismissed her, thinking that it was my imagination running rampant under stress. But she kept appearing wherever I went, always standing to the north and always beckoning urgently. I couldn't get a look at her face but something about her struck me as familiar." Kerian looked down at Kiara, his expression ashamed. "When you finally woke and told me where you were I was shocked. The Maiden's Fancy was to the North, the same direction the woman had been trying to get me to go all along."

Kiara shared his memory and found an image of the woman. Her image was faded, as if surrounded by smoke. She had long hair and shapely, curving ears. Her eyes were sharply slanted and held so much sorrow that even their memory brought tears to Kiara's eyes. Kiara hugged her brother tightly, ignoring the barrier of his chain mail. "You couldn't have known what she wanted. I would have been mistrustful too."

They held each other for a few minutes longer before Kerian got to his feet. He helped her to stand and she held onto his arm, her legs twitching in protest. Kerian began to lead the way up the narrow path and Kiara carefully followed behind. "Where are we going?"

"North, through the Lavastorm Mountains, then west to the Permafrost Peaks; there is someone in Halas who may help us."

"The barbarian city?"

"Yes, I met one on my travels. I believe he was returning there after we parted ways."

Kiara opened her mouth to ask more questions but ended up yelping in surprise. A ghostly chain rose from the rocky path and wrapped tightly around her left wrist; two more rose simultaneously, encompassing her waist and ankle. Kerian turned quickly at her shout and had his blade drawn in an instant. He started towards her, as though to cut the chains that bound her. Two ogres and a dark elf male appeared over the rocky rise. Kiara waved Kerian away and pointed to the intruders. Kerian spun to face the new threat. The male wore blood read robes and a fire imp flapped languidly at his side. The two ogres stepped forward ominously, cracking their knuckles and grinning at Kerian with stupid expressions. Kerian raised his blade and fervently wished he had not discarded his shield as they had fled Neriak.

The dark elf stepped forward, his expression pleasant, "Are you the D'oyle siblings?"

Kerian looked suspiciously at the other Tier'dal. "What if we are?"

"Wonderful!" the elf smiled in delight. "My Mistress requests the pleasure of your company."

_Can you cast?_

_I will do my best._

Kerian judged his opponents carefully. Both the ogres were males, thickly built; they wore plate mail armor and held surprisingly well-crafted weapons. They were not his main concern though. The other dark elf was.

Kerian started to step toward the wizard but his movement stopped when the other elf put his hands to his throat and began to cough and wheeze. His breathing trouble ended as quickly as it had begun. His eyes narrowed into slits, his mouth curving into a cruel smile. His gaze dismissed Kerian and went straight to his sister. "So you want to do this the hard way little girl? I'll be happy to oblige you!" He muttered a few sharp phrases and Kiara cried out in pain behind him. Kerian turned in time to see flames surrounding her as she writhed in pain. She narrowed her eyes at him as she saw his indecision. _What are you doing Idiot! I'm far more able to attack him head on than you are. I've trained for this kind of battle and I've developed more magic resistance in my pinky than you have in your whole body! Take care of those ogres then worry about me!_

Kerian wasted no more time arguing. He charged the closest ogre with a roar, his sword blade reflecting the moonlight overhead. The ogre raised his own blade to meet Kerian's. Kerian did not even try to match strength with the ogre and allowed his sword to be parried away. The other ogre began to circle Kerian, looking for an opening to attack. Kerian had to back away to keep from being flanked. His primary target attacked and Kerian brought his sword up to block the oncoming swing. The swords connected and lightning leapt from the ogre's sword into his. The painful jolt caused Kerian's muscles to spasm and willpower alone allowed him to hold onto his sword.

The second ogre swung his club low attempting to take out Kerian's legs. He dove over the club and rolled on the ground for a few yards before again springing back to his feet. The ogre with the club was now in front of him but he had lost sight of the first one. He felt a presence behind him and instinctively leaned to the right. The blade, that had been meant to cleave his scull in two, lodged instead in his left shoulder. The ogre drew the blade back slicing further into his tissue. The broken links from his mail lay imbedded in the wound and his left arm now hung limp and useless at his side but he still lived. His muscles ached and weariness over took him. Morgase was dead, he had killed a necromancer and thereby condemned not only himself but his sister to exile in a world where they were hated just because of the color of their skin. Why fight? It would be better to let it end here. Kerian's knees started to bend, his will fading with his blood as it pumped out onto the rocky ground.

_NO! NEVER!_

A wave of heat and light burst over his head. He looked up to see one of the ogres with his sword raised ready to strike. The ogre was staggering backwards, his eyes shut tightly and a pained expression on his face. Kerian wasted no time, he gripped his sword firmly and thrust upwards into the ogre's chest. The ogre's eyes never opened and he slumped to the ground, his blood dripping down Kerian's sword hilt and staining his hands red. Kerian was about to draw his sword out again when Kiara's cry pierced the air. Disregarding the remaining ogre he spun around to find Kiara pinned to a tree by a dagger to her throat. The wizard glared at him. His dagger slicing into Kiara's flesh, drawing a line of scarlet against her blue skin. "Surrender your weapon or your sister dies here and now." The wizard's robes were torn and singed. Kiara had obviously put up a good fight but now the other elf had the upper hand and he knew it. Kerian lowered his sword to the ground and then backed away from it with his arms raised. "Such concern for a sibling. You dishonor Innoruuk with your feelings!" Privately Kerian wondered if he was right.

Kiara trudged behind Kerian, their pace steady. Her hands had been tied behind her just as Kerian's had been secured behind him. A rope had been strung between them and its end was held by the remaining ogre guard. The other wizard walked behind them, grinning happily at his success in their capture. The rocky terrain was difficult to navigate without the use of her hands and arms; she found herself stumbling as she tried to make her way over the boulders and ledges in her way. Her robe held up well, any tiny rents and tears it collected instantly mending themselves. Her braids had long since fallen apart and her tangled hair hung in matted locks down her back and arms, adding to her discomfort.

The air had grown dense with heat and the smell of brimstone. Steam vented from cracks in the rocky ground and she found herself having to jump occasionally to avoid being scorched by the heat. Little vegetation grew in this area. Occasionally they would pass stunted trees whose leaves had long since dried up and blown away. Low shrubs clung precariously to the harsh volcanic stone and pools of lava bubbled sporadically across the landscape.

The sky was overcast with steam, the sun a diluted orb in the grey sky. In the distance Kiara saw the mating flight of two fire drakes. They looked like miniature dragons with ruby scales. The two darted around each other, the female leading the male on a merry chase. Their courtship involved a fantastic aerial display followed by the drakes locking talons and plunging to the earth as they mated. At the last moment they separated, spreading their wings to catch the updrafts of the wind across the mountain and soaring once again high above the ground. Despite her sore body and tired mind Kiara found herself enjoying the journey. She had never been away from Neriak and the new sights kept her mind occupied and away from troubling thoughts.

After about an hour, the path they were on narrowed; winding its way along a shallow precipice it finally led to an entrance that had been carved into the mountain's face. Two crumbling marble columns stood on either side of the entrance; ancient runes had been carved into their channels and glowed orange with power. One large metal door still stood on its hinges. The other lay broken on the ground, its rusted edges exposed to the elements. Two dark elf guards stood at the doorway, their eyes constantly scanning the barren landscape for intruders. The twins were hustled quickly inside the mountain; it was as though arriving at their destination infused their captors with a sense of urgency.

They were lead through twisting hallways with abrupt turns. After the first few passageways Kiara completely lost track of the direction they were heading. The hallways themselves showed signs of wear. Ancient writing on the walls had faded into obscurity and columns that supported the archways were crumbling away. Occasionally they would pass other occupants of the ancient temple; undead constructs, fire elementals, ogre servants and dark elf followers roamed the hallways, frequently stepping aside to allow them to pass. Torches were mounted on the walls; their light only the slightest defense against the encroaching darkness. Stalactites and stalagmites sporadically grew from the ceiling and floors.

Kiara passed too close to one and eyes opened in the rock. Tentacles sprouted from its sides and reached for her; she had to duck away quickly to avoid being pulled in to the tentacle terror's gaping mouth. Their escorts laughed at her confusion and she took several steps closer to Kerian, taking comfort from his closeness.

At one point they passed a campfire, two ogres sat around it roasting meat over the flame. Next to the ogre turning the spit Kiara could see a pile of discarded meat parts. As she passed one of the ogres grabbed one of the discarded parts and took a bite from it; it was a hand that still had a small gold ring on its index finger.

Eventually the tunnel they were passing through grew larger and they entered a room where a gate had been built across one side. Wooden spikes had been hammered into the stone floor, their ends angling outward to protect the walls from enemies. Across the gate's archway the word Najena had been painted in blood. They were quickly ushered past the gate.

Several twists and turns later they were brought before a door. Another guard stood here, this one a skeleton. Its bones were parched white and its eye sockets glowed green, giving proof to the unnatural powers that kept it alive. Their captor opened the door and stepped passed the skeleton. They followed and found themselves in a library, the walls covered with ancient texts.

Najena sat at a desk, ancient tomes scattered around her. She wore tight leather armor that hugged her like a second skin. The soft brown leather was a surprising contrast next to her deep blue skin. Her white hair was short, only reaching her shoulders and had a slight curl at the tips. She was speaking into a large silver mirror that hung on a nearby wall. Within the mirror's reflection Kiara could see the figure of another elf; the woman in the mirror was tall and stately. Her long white hair cascaded around her arms and shoulders falling well past the mirrors line of sight. Najena turned as they entered, falling silent at the interruption. A delighted smile broke across her face when she saw them in her doorway. "Ah I see they have arrived."

The elf that had been responsible for their capture bowed to Najena before sinking to his knees in reverence before the woman in the mirror. Getting a closer look Kiara and Kerian both realized who sat staring at them, her expression cold enough to freeze water. The Queen of Neriak, Duchess of the Dead, Cristanos Thex herself gazed at them through the mirror.

Najena turned back to the queen and spoke in a cheerful voice, "Well aunt, are these the ones you told us to watch for?"

"Indeed, these are the ones responsible for the death of three of my necromancers."

Najena clapped her hands, her delight almost making her appear childish. "Wonderful! What would you have me do with them, Aunt?"

Cristanos frowned at the gleefulness in her young niece's voice, there was something almost innocent about Najena that gave the impression that she was not all there mentally. "Hold them, I am sending a regiment of soldiers to collect them and return them here. Their crime requires swift action. I believe a public execution will do nicely."

Najena pouted prettily. "So you only wish for me to hold them for you?"

"Yes niece, hold them well. I will not be pleased should they escape." Christanos' expression was so severe even Najena bowed before her.

"All will be done as you wish."

"As it should be." The glass went dark as Cristanos' cut off the magic that sustained the link. Najena stood up again and walked over to her captives. "We've been naughty my darlings. Bad things happen to naughty children." Najena nodded to their escort and he kicked them both in the back of the knees causing them to fall one at a time to their knees in front of her. She grabbed Kerian's hair and tilted his face up to hers. Running the fingers of her left hand along his cheek she purred to herself. "So pretty, what a pity!" Leaving him she turned to Kiara and her skin crawled at Najena's expression of delight. "Now here is true beauty." Najena touched Kiara's bruised cheek lightly with her fingertips before lowering her face to Kiara's. She tried to turn away but Najena gripped her chin and held her with surprising strength. Najena' lips were cold and harsh as she forced her kiss upon Kiara. Her mouth pressed with such force that Kiara's lips were cut against her teeth and the taste of blood filled her mouth Kiara's recent assault reared itself in her memories and she let out a low moan of panic.

Kerian shouted, "Stop it." Only to be struck in the back of the skull by their guard and stunned into silence.

Najena released Kiara and licked her lips, as though savoring a tasty treat. Kiara could not keep tears from escaping and running down her cheeks in a moist stream. Najean nodded at the guard. "Give them to Bonecrusher. He's bored and deserves a treat." The guard laughed heartlessly and pulled them to their feet. The last thing Kiara saw as she was pulled from the room was Najena absently petting the human skull on her desk.

They were drug down through several more hallways. Occasionally they would pass through rooms where the remains of prisoners were still shackled to the walls, their copses no more than a decoration among the rest of the gore. Finally the guard halted at an iron door. He withdrew a key from his pocket and opened the large rusted lock. The door swung inward revealing its contents in slow motion. The room was large and strewn with torture devices that defied imagination. Wheels were attached to the walls with bases that ended in pools of water. Metal clasps were nailed into the wood so that a prisoner could be held to the wheel at the wrists, ankles, waist and neck. Racks and iron maidens took up floor space along with racks that held strange blood-covered tools and instruments. One entire wall was lined with cells. Open bars allowed no privacy to the prisoners and only straw mats gave the cells any comfort.

Kiara and Kerian were ushered into adjoining cells. Kerian's armor was stripped from him at sword point and his hands placed in iron cuffs. Kiara was left alone, her rope bonds more then enough to prevent her casting. The guard closed their cell doors before calling out to the room. "Bonecrusher! Najena sends you new toys. Won't you come out and see them?"

A small hunched form, previously unnoticed in the corner of the room, shuffled slightly at the comment. "New toys? Foraaak! Mistress sends new toys?" The figure rose and shuffled to them. The figure's back remained hunched over. His green skin, discolored with rot, still showed spots beneath the grime. His long fingers wrapped around the bars to Kerian's cell and his tongue flicked out, touching Kerian with its sticky tip. The undead froglock hopped with glee. "Mistress is too kind. New toys will be much fun. Croaaaak!" The dark elf wizard looked nonplused for a moment before gathering himself and leaving the room. His parting words through the relocked door were addressed to Bonecrusher. "Just don't kill them. Her Majesty wants them alive."

Bonecrusher stared at them silently for a minute. His left eye socket was grey and shrunken in, the eye itself having rotted away years ago. The right eye made a squishy noise as it moved back and forth between them. He pulled a key from his belt and unlocked the door to Kerian's cage. Kerian gathered his strength and ran at the froglock, attempting to batter his way out of the cell. Bonecrusher smoothly sidestepped Kerian's charge and gripped him by the neck as he passed. Using Kerian's own momentum he twisted the elf, causing Kerian to slam headfirst into the iron bars of the cell's wall. Kiara's own skull throbbed with the pain of the impact and she staggered under the onslaught of the sensation.

Boncrusher pinned Kerian to the wall that connected the twin's cells and using a nearby chain secured him in place while he remained stunned. Using the chain he raised Kerian's arms above his head and stepped back to admire his posture. The wound in Kerian's shoulder had reopened and blood seeped in a slow trickle down his back. Kiara could see his face through the bars and he smiled, trying to reassure her. "It will be fine Kia, I promise."

Kia leaned against the bars, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Liar."

Bonecrusher shuffled out of the cell and rummaged through the objects on one of the tables. The twins remained silent, the only sounds those that Bonecrusher made as he moved about the room. He shuffled back into Kerian's cell bringing with him a short leather whip. Kiara froze when she saw it and avoided Kerian's gaze. The whip cracked and Kerian stiffened in pain. For a few moments she felt nothing as he closed his mind to her. He kept his eyes shut and made no movements or sound but his strength could not hold against the onslaught of strikes. His mental shields crashed down and Kiara was bombarded with waives of pain, feeling every strike against her brother's back. She cried out and Boncrusher soon realized that the twins shared each others pain. He redoubled his efforts, pleased to be able to torture both of them at once.

Time passed; how much Kiara couldn't say. Boncrusher was an expert at what he did. Doing just enough to keep them writing in agony but not enough to cause them to pass out and give them blessed relief. Kiara lay slumped in her cell, her legs unable to hold her any longer. Kerian had been stretched out on one of the tables. His back burned where the open welts were pressed to the wood by his weight. But for now he was being left alone. The froglock returned to his side with a rusted dirk in his hands. Raising it above Kerian he began to slowly cut into his chest as though he were dissecting a specimen in a laboratory.

_Oh gods Kia. It's too much. I can't…_

She tried to sit up. She wanted to be able to see his eyes. _No you don't. Don't give up. They'll be coming for us soon. We can escape then. We…_

_No Kia. Its too late for me. I lo…_

Kerian turned his head to her and she saw the light leave his eyes. Kiara threw herself against the bars of the cell, trying desperately to get to him, to hold him to her. Pain shattered in her head, she fell slowly to the ground as darkness engulfed her.

_She sat next to the pool, on dew covered moss…_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The vision of falling through darkness seemed to go on forever. Kiara stared so hard into the blackness that colored lights danced in her eyes. She gradually realized that she was no longer cold or wet. In fact, she felt nothing at all; she began to wonder if she was even falling. Finally, a light broke through the darkness and she felt herself pulled towards it. The woman that she had seen in Kerian's memory was holding her arms out to Kiara, beckoning her forward. Kiara tried to move, but her arms and legs wouldn't obey her. Suddenly instead of moving toward the woman, she was falling away again.

The light faded and she was again alone in the darkness. Gradually another light grew beneath her; this one was so bright that it dazzled her eyes. She felt herself land and found she was standing on a glowing hand. She looked around and saw the light elf from earlier again. This time the elf was enormous, easily fifty times larger that Kiara. Where the elf's eyes should have been were empty sockets filled with blackness. The hand that had been supporting Kiara wrapped around her and lifted her up closer to the elf's face. Once she was closer, she could see blood dripping from the empty sockets and she screamed, writhing in the giant hand and trying to move away. The elf opened her mouth as though she would swallow Kiara whole. Her teeth were yellow and pointed like a snake's. Kiara's movement caused her to slip through the hand and she began falling again. Tears coursed down her cheeks and her heart beat with terror in her chest.

Her feet again touched something solid and the darkness gave way to another vision. She saw around her the streets of Neriak. A large crowd had gathered in the square ahead. She could hear them shouting and crying out but could not see what they were all staring at. Moving between the elves, she shoved and shouldered her way to the front. There she saw a large wooden scaffolding that had been erected hastily in the square. On the scaffolding a Tier'Dal had been suspended, his arms bent behind him and lashed to a beam. The beam was mounted in the center of the scaffolding so that he faced the gathered crowd. His head drooped, nearly touching his chest and his long black hair obscured his face. His chest was bare and she could see ancient runes had been carved into it with a blade. The red blood showed starkly against his dark blue skin and flowed freely from the cuts dripping off his ankles and pooling at his bare feet.

Kiara gagged at the sight but couldn't make herself look away; a feeling of dread began growing in her stomach. She made her way to the very edge of the scaffolding. The elf gave a ragged breath, his chest heaving with the effort, causing the blood to drip faster. Groaning, he raised his head and looked at her. Kerian's eyes bore into hers, accusing and damning her for not suffering the same fate. She desperately tried to scramble onto the scaffolding but the crowd dragged her backwards, holding onto her waist, hips and legs to prevent her from moving forward. Darik stepped onto the scaffolding holding a whip in his right hand and a stone dirk in his left. He stepped closer to her brother and flicked the whip, causing it to snake and hiss across the wooden platform.

She renewed her efforts against the hands that held her back, struggling to reach Kerian a desperate plea fell from her lips as the first lash struck him. "Nononononopleaseno!" Some of the hands holding her loosened and hope filled her heart. She rushed forward again just as another pair of arms wrapped around her. She rammed her elbow back against her captor's abdomen but he neither grunted nor loosened his grasp. A familiar voice whispered in her ear.

"See what shame you have caused me. You have both been an unwanted thorn in my side for years. Now I shall finally be free of you. Free to have the children that I always wanted." Tears began to fall down her cheeks at her father's cruel words, whispered in her ear. She turned as the lash again fell across Kerian's skin to see their father's face. Despite his firm grip on her, his full attention was riveted on the platform. His eyes glowed with excitement and pleasure as he watched the repeated blows strike Kerian's still form. Kerian remained stoic under the abuse, his eyes fastened on Kiara as he forwarded the pain from every lash of the whip to her. Her arms and chest burned and throbbed with sympathetic pain. The pressure from her father's arms against her phantom wounds was enough to make her weak in the knees. Darik growled as his attempts to draw a cry from Kerian failed, he finally dropped the whip and switched the dirk from his left hand to his right. The crowd roared its approval as he placed the tip of the blade to Kerian's throat. Their noises drowned out her pained cry as she felt his death tear though her mind again. She screamed to the Planes for aid, for relief, for anything.

Her father released her and she stumbled forward into someone else's arms. Her body shook with the intensity of her sobs to the point she could not even see whose arms supported her now. Gradually she realized the roar of the crowd was gone and the only sound she heard was the rushing of the blood in her ears. She stiffened as the figure who held her cradled her head to his chest.

"Shhh, Kia. What is wrong?"

She pushed against his chest and he released her, allowing her to stumble back. She opened her tear-filled eyes and stared into her beloved brother's smiling face. She gulped in air, trying to make sense of what was going on. Her voice came out in a choking stammer. "I…. I don't underst…You should be dead… You died twice." The longer she spoke the more erratic her voice became. Her brother stood in front of her, unhurt and calm.

"What do you mean I'm dead? I'm right here Kia. I'm fine; you can see that, can't you?" He reached for her and she flung herself into his arms, crying tears of joy. Her hands went to the ties on his shirt, fumbling as she untied them hastily. His chest was smooth and unscarred. She placed her hands in wonder on his skin and rubbed her hands along his muscles, amazed at his unmarked flesh.

He placed his hands on her cheeks directing her gaze upward until they looked at each other eye to eye. He brushed at her tears gently with his fingers and she closed her eyes as he leaned down to gently kiss each of her eyelids. She inhaled his scent, a mixture of sandalwood and dust. The scent was off somehow and she wrinkled her forehead in confusion. His lips left her eyelids and trailed down her cheek. One hand moved to the back of her head, sliding through her hair. The other hand trailed down her neck to the border of her robe. Her first instinct was to relax into his embrace. Her emotions had ricocheted from one extreme to the next so rapidly that the experience had left her feeling drained.

She sighed softly as his lips slid over hers, the gentle caress a whisper against her skin. The pressure of his lips on hers increased and she felt his hand holding her head tighten as she tried to pull away. She opened her eyes and blinked in confusion at the eyes that were inches away from her own. Kerian's eyes were light blue, an exact copy of hers. These eyes were yellow and held a malicious slant to them. She blinked again and the edges of her vision that had been blurred a moment before cleared again. She was back in the inn room at the Maiden's Fancy and Darik looked down on her with a cruel smile on his lips. She tried to turn away but his hand twisted in her hair holding her still. With the other hand, he tore the robe she wore from neck to waist. He mashed his lips against hers, increasing the pressure until her lips were cut against her own teeth. Only when she tasted blood did she yield her mouth to him. His tongue slid inside her mouth, probing until she gagged on the sensation.

He pushed her backwards towards the mammoth bed. She struggled against him but he easily trapped her hands and pinned them to her sides. Her robe slipped down her arms revealing her upper torso to his gaze. He pulled back from the kiss and stared at her exposed flesh. She spit in his face and he reacted instantly. He slapped her across the face so hard that the room spun on its axis and she fell to the floor, momentarily stunned. He picked her up and threw her roughly on the bed. She landed on her stomach and in and instant he knelt across her legs, pinning her down on the bed. He reached under the frame and brought up a pair of iron manacles. She struggled, terrified of being restrained further but he simply dealt her another blow to the head that blackened her vision. The manacles were placed around her wrists with smooth efficiency and their chains were so short she could not pick her arms up off the mattress.

Before her vision cleared she heard a child humming off key. The melody was haunting in its childlike simplicity. Once her vision again returned she searched the room, vainly looking for the child that was making the sound but the room was empty except for herself and Darik. He moved around for only a moment before returning to the bed. He flipped her skirts up around her waist with a negligent gesture. Her cheeks flamed as he pushed her legs up until her backside was perched in the air. She felt much like a stuffed fowl arranged on a platter to please the master of the house. Her heart raced as she felt the bed give under his weight when he climbed on behind her. She opened her mouth to cast choking cloud upon him. She paused for a moment searching her mind for the words. She shuddered in terror as she realized she could not remember a single spell that she had learned in the past twelve years. She heard him chuckle behind her, enjoying her fear.

He placed his hands on her hips, running them along her skin as he pulled her legs apart. His nails scratched her skin as he roughly moved her into the position he wanted. She clenched her teeth, resolved not to cry out. _This isn't happening, it is a dream, I will wake up and find that none of this is real_. He sank inside her inch by painful inch, only to withdraw and repeat the process all the more quickly. She tried to clench against the invasive movement but soon found that only heightened her pain. He continued thrusting against her and soon the room was filled with the sound of flesh contacting flesh in a repeating, monotonous rhythm.

As he continued his assault upon her, her mind started to expand, to block the pain with a dream-like haze. As she sank into her own thoughts, trying to ignore the degradation being done to her body, she heard again the childish humming. _Da da da da, dadadada da da da_. The tune repeating over and over in her mind. Darik noticed her inattention and slowed his movements. He leaned over her, pressing his chest to her back so that he was free to move his hand between her chest and the bed. He slipped his hand between the torn edges of her robe and roughly squeezed her flesh, bringing her mind back to what was being done to her. He whispered harshly in her ear, "I always knew that this would be good with you. I can feel the hate and fear coming off you in waves. It's like a feast for my master. I could keep you here for days, weeks even, feasting on your pain."

The taunting words did what his cruel actions could not. She whimpered in terror at the thought of being subjected to this abuse for weeks on end. He moaned with excitement as her terror pushed him over the pinnacle and he spilled his pleasure into her. He lay heavily on top of her, smothering her against the mattress as she tried to breath with his weight on her lungs. She felt blood and other things trail out of her and down her legs and a single tear followed suit.

Just as she feared he would lay on her until she died of asphyxiation the door to the room burst open. His friends tumbled in carrying a long wooden box. They were laughing and jostling each other, pleased with themselves. Out in the hallway she could see another box that had been set down to wait. Darick rolled off of her and one of his friends picked her up roughly by her hair, the other one unlocked the manacles as Darik made his way over to the long box. The one who held her pulled her battered form against his body and began to fondle her while he watched the others open the lid of the box. "I have to say Darik, I think you got the better deal. The other one was a hot piece but we had to share and she wasn't even full Tier'Dal. Which would explain why she didn't last through the ritual." He brought his hand up to stroke Kiara's chin. "Now this one is quality. Full blooded and filled with fear. I think I deserve a turn with her." Kiara stiffened as she realized what they were implying, both of them had assaulted Morgase, and then she had died. Her head thickened again. _No this isn't right, Kerian came, but she died anyways. This isn't what happened afterwards…_

Her thoughts were stopped as Darik grabbed her wrist and yanked her out of his friends grasp. "Don't argue with me. Its over and done with. Now it is time to hide the evidence." He pulled her towards the box as her muddled thoughts tried to make sense of his words. The box was five and a half feet long and two feet wide by two feet deep, just big enough to hold… She gasped as the realization struck her. She whirled and tried to run away. Darik's friend caught her and struck the back of her head with something heavy. She slumped in his grasp and was dropped roughly into the bare wooden coffin. Her last sight as her eyes closed was the lid being shut and then nothing but darkness. _Da da da da…_

She opened her eyes to the sound of something falling above her head. It was the sound of dirt hitting the roof above her. She frowned against the darkness. _No, not a roof it's a… Oh Gods! It's a coffin lid. I'm being buried Alive!_ She screamed but the only answer was the sound of the dirt piling up faster. She banged on the lid and bits of dirt fell through the cracks and onto her. She flailed in the enclosed space, her legs kicking and hands clawing at the lid above her, all the time she could feel the darkness closing in around her. Her lungs burned from lack of air and she gasped, desperate for more. _Da da da da, Dadadada da da da._ She heard the child's singing again and strangely, it calmed her. _It's so pretty_, she thought to herself as she unknowingly began to hum along with the melody.

She continued to scratch at the coffin's lid, her movements slower, almost languid. Splinters began separating from the lid above her. Some fell into her face others lodged themselves under her nails and in her fingertips. Blood began to drip down her arms from the wounds but she never paused. The lid weakened and cracked. With a final burst of energy she pushed up, the lid split and dirt poured in over her. She choked and coughed, reaching desperately for the surface. The dirt despite its weigh was loose and her hand pushed though until it found the air. With a swimming motion she wriggled through the broken coffin lid and fought against the dirt until she broke through to the surface.

Night was again upon the land. Thousands of stars shone in the clear sky like diamonds scattered by a careless hand. She pulled herself out of the grave carefully, painfully aware of her battered body. Her sleeves and hem were ripped and torn, her entire robe now only tatters around her. She shivered in the chilly air, her breath puffing in front of her from the cold. She looked around and saw she was in a graveyard, surrounded by crypts and tombstones. She got to her feet and began making her way between the stones. Her bare feet were quiet on the frost-covered grass. She wrapped her arms around her in a futile effort to stay warm. Childish giggles erupted from her left. She turned but saw no one. Taking a few more steps she heard a young girl's laughter to her right. She followed the sound through the graveyard until she found another fresh grave. The newly placed headstone simply said 'MORGASE.'

She fell to her knees in front of her friend's grave. Placing her hands in the freshly turned dirt she began to sob as the reality of her death sunk in. She sat there until the cold from the ground began to burn her exposed skin. She sniffled as the last of her sobs calmed. She found that her hands had sunk into the loose dirt, she pulled back and was surprised when there was resistance. Cold hands wrapped around her wrists. She pulled up with all her strength and succeeded in pulling her hands out of the dirt. The cold blue hands were still wrapped around her wrists. She pulled further and the dirt began to bubble over the fresh grave. Hope surged in her heart, perhaps Morgase was like her! Perhaps she had been buried alive as well! Morgase's torso broke through the surface of the grave. Her red hair hung in matted locks around her face. Her eyes were dull and lifeless and her lips white with death. Kiara fought to break the grip on her wrists and in doing so, fell backwards onto the ground. She shimmied backwards, never bothering to stand as Morgase climbed out of her grave. Her friend's glazed pupils followed her movement. The zombie hissed, her lips curling back over her teeth. Her voice came out in a dry rattle, "Your fault!"

Kiara never stopped her backwards shuffle until she ran into another tombstone. Taking a shaky breath, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Your fault. If you hadn't screamed, he would have rescued me first. We would all still be alive."

Kiara shook her head but was unable to deny the zombie's words. If she had waited would they…

The zombie began to lumber forward, her movements stiff, "You wanted me dead."

"No Never!"

"Jealous of your brother's feelings for me."

Kiara shook her head in denial. "No! I loved you both. I would never…"

"We knew you would stop us. We played along with your games, knowing that the opportunity would come where we could escape you."

Kiara trembled with fear of what she would say next. "What do you mean?"

"Whining, trembling, little coward. Always hanging onto us. Making us carry your weight along with us." The zombie adopted a false high-pitched tone. "I saw an arena fight once. It was horrible… how could we do that?"

With every mimicked statement, she advanced on Kiara. Kiara sat on the ground moaning and sobbing at the hurtful words. She placed her hands over her ears to block out the sound and shook her head in denial of the accusations. Through her misery she noticed how much closer the zombie had come to her. Realizing the danger she scrambled to her feet and backed away hastily. The zombie Morgase snarled in anger. Kiara began to hear sounds from all around her. A quick glance revealed the ground over all the graves moving and buckling. Skeletal hands pushed though the surfaced and reached with clawed fingertips for her. She turned and ran, weaving her way around the headstones.

One skeleton, lower half still buried in its grave managed to snag her ankle. She fell, slamming her hip into a nearby headstone and twisting her ankle. Her fall wrenched her foot away from the skeleton and his hand, separated from his arm, remained clasped around her leg.

She clawed at the hand for a moment, breaking its grip on her leg. She threw the offending appendage away from her and scrambled back to her feet to resume her run. She made it to the edge of the graveyard and turned back to see the army of the dead that pursued her. The sight fueled the terror in her and she dashed into the darkness of the forest, hobbled only slightly by her now injured ankle.

As she ran, the tree branches lashed against her body, ripping the tattered remnants of her robe and drawing long scratches across her arms and legs that quickly filled with blood. The air around her grew colder and her bare feet throbbed with pain from the long run across the forest floor. She could see her breath in front of her as soft white flakes began falling around her. She came to a creek bed and paused to catch her rasping breath and to try to slow her erratic pulse. The sounds of pursuit had faded and she was alone again.

She leaned against a nearby tree and wrapped her arms around herself trying to warm her pain-wracked body. She stared at her bare feet and tried to remember when she had lost her shoes. Had she ever even had some on? Her legs could be seen through the long tears in her robe and the top of it still gaped, exposing her to the air whenever she forgot to hold the tear closed. Her arms might as well have been bare for all the protection her sleeves offered, they hung like tattered ribbons from her shoulders.

_Da da da da, dadadada da da da._

The childish singing was closer now; the melody clearly distinguishable despite the strong wind. Shivering, Kiara stood straight again and followed the song. The melody led her along the creek bed following the water upstream. The middle of the creek comprised of fast currents and white peaks as the water flowed over numerous rocks and obstacles. The edges were slower with ice clinging to the shoreline as it grew in patches between the pebbles and stones. Ahead Kiara could see the creek bed widen. Large steppingstones lay evenly spaced across the icy stream. On the middle stone a small girl stood, balancing on her toes. She wore a white gown and her white hair was braided in two long plates which was a stunning contrast to her blue skin. She cradled a rag doll gently in her arms. She was dancing on the stone, swaying with the rhythm of the melody she was humming. Her eyes were closed and as she moved the snowflakes fell softly around her, giving the scene a surreal feeling.

Kiara stepped towards the child, trying not to startle her. She called out, "Hello?"

The child stopped her humming and turned towards Kiara. She stood utterly still, her eyes large as she contemplated Kiara.

"I don't want to hurt you. What is your name?" Kiara called softly. The child never responded. She remained where she was, head tilted as though contemplating something. "My name is Kiara, what are you doing out here?"

At her question the child laughed, an infectious giggle that filled the area and carried over the rushing sound of the water like chimes on the air. Kiara reached the edge of the stream where the stepping-stones started. She was concerned that the child would fall into the frigid water. As she put her foot on the closest stone, a low growl came from behind her. She turned abruptly. In the edge of the trees, she could see yellow eyes peering out from the underbrush. She counted six pairs before the closest one moved. From the tree line, a large wolf stepped forward. His form was massive, his black fur long and shaggy. His teeth were bared and saliva dripped from his lips, steaming lightly before hitting the cold ground. Kiara stepped backwards until she was standing entirely on the stone. The wolf's growl grew louder as his companions joined him in stalking her. She turned back, looking for the child, only to discover she had disappeared without a trace. The wolves paced closer and she could see the tension in their muscles as they prepared to give chase. She turned away from them and bolted across the stream. She hopped and jumped between the stones, desperately trying to keep from falling in and yet keep herself away from the wolves as well. They howled and her heart jumped into her throat as fear and adrenaline coursed though her veins.

She made it across the stream with only one slip. Her right leg was now wet up to her calf but she couldn't let that stop her. Giving only the slightest difference to her injured ankle she dashed headlong through the trees. She could hear the sounds of the wolves pursuing her; their rapid breathing and howls of communication. She heard them behind her while others paced along on either side, driving her in a single direction. She swore she could feel their teeth snapping at the back of her heals.

Ahead through the trees she saw a light. It grew in brightness as she approached it. The brighter the light grew the more the wolves pulled back until they no longer pursued at all. She slowed her pace, panting heavily as her exertion caught up with her. The light began flickering as though the source was moving through the trees. She quickened her pace, anxious to see the light that had saved her. There, between the trees in front of her stood a familiar woman. The light emanated from her skin, banishing the shadows to the depths of the forest. She was too bright to look at directly and Kiara was forced to avert her eyes. As if the figure was aware of her difficulty the light dimmed until it was only a gentle glow.

Kiara stared in silence at the woman in front of her. It was the woman from Kerian's vision. Her white hair was long and loose. Her features were elegant and despite the blue of her skin, her eyes looked kind. Kiara took a stumbling step forward, reaching out towards the beautiful woman, noticing the striking similarity of the woman's light blue eyes to her own. The woman smiled and stretched out her own arms in a welcoming response. When they were within a hairsbreadth of touching a wall of flame came between them. The burning heat caused her to pull her hands back. She could see the woman's form blackening within the flames although her serene expression never faltered. The flames spread towards Kiara, licking like tongues towards her tattered robes and exposed flesh. She backed away and the woman's expression saddened. As her hair caught fire, Kiara could stand the sight no longer. She turned away and ran again into the forest.

Her heart throbbed with unshed tears and she no longer tried to keep track of where she was going. Her body ached so completely from the many cuts and bruises that she began to think there had never been anything but pain for her. She ran and ran until she could not run another step. There she collapsed to the ground, too tired even to look where she had fallen. She lay still, her mind a confusing jumble of thoughts and emotions. She felt a wrenching as though something within her shattered into pieces. A hand touched her arm and she looked up. An old woman stood over her. She wore a long black cloak and her back was hunched and crooked. She held a gnarled stick in her hand and used it like a cane. Behind her was a clearing in the forest with a small cabin. Kiara could not make out the woman's face beneath her hood but the voice was kind. "My child, you look so tired. Come and sit with me?"

Kiara nodded woodenly. She got to her feet and stumbling along behind the woman, followed her into the cabin like a doll that someone else controlled. The woman sat down on an old rocking chair. She gently encouraged Kiara to kneel down at her feet, once there she laid her head down in the woman's lap. The woman rocked for a moment, tenderly smoothing Kiara's hair against the back of her head. As she rocked, she began quietly humming an achingly familiar melody. Da da da da, Dadadada da da da.

After a few moments, the woman tilted Kiara's chin up and resumed speaking. "My child you are so tormented. Would you like me to ease your pain?" Kiara nodded. It sounded wonderful, to be without the pain. She closed her eyes and let the woman caress her face with her knobby knuckles. Her touch was cool and light.

Kiara felt for a moment as though she was falling. In her mind she saw a room and it was filled with different versions of her. Some were young and some were old; some were scared while others were angry or confused. She walked among them feeling as though they were a part of her, yet isolated some how. She saw another version of herself, running though the others with urgency. This other version of Kiara went from form to form, touching, shaking and yelling. Trying to urge them all to do something.

When the urgent form of herself touched the scared form, Kiara felt fear. When she touched the angry form Kiara felt angry. Suddenly the old woman was beside her in her mind. "There she is." The woman pointed at the urgent form of herself. "That is the one who has been making you feel pain. I can show you how to send her away, How to make her leave you alone. Together we can put her someplace she will never bother you again."

Kiara replied, her voice confused. "But isn't she… me?"

The woman laughed, "Of course not. You are you. She is an aspect of your mind that is causing you torment. You have as much right to be happy as anyone else." She leaned in close and wrapped her arm around Kiara in a hug. "Now are we going to make you feel better?"

Kiara watched for a moment longer before nodding, "Yes, I want to feel better."

The woman showed her another door in her mind. Behind the door was total blackness. Together they forced the urgent Kiara into that room. She fought and pleaded but her words were unheard. As the door closed on her she began screaming. The screams came faster and faster, the sound turning harsh as the air rasped over vocal chords. Finally the door clanged shut and there was silence. The old woman took Kiara's hand and together they traced a ward over the door. When the pattern was completed it glowed a bright purple before fading into obscurity.

"Now," said the old woman while turning her to face the remaining forms. "Which one do you like best?"

Kiara pondered the crowd for a moment. Then she heard it again, the childish humming that had haunted her for it seemed like days. She followed the sound to a corner. There she saw the little girl, sitting on the floor with her doll. Her hair had changed from white to black and now Kiara recognized the child as being a younger version of herself. She knelt down and hugged the child closely. "I choose her." She whispered.

The room spun and she found herself sitting in the clearing again. She felt lighter and freer than she had in ages. She giggled with happiness and she felt the woman resume stroking her hair. She reached for her doll and realized it was missing. She looked at the woman and asked her in a childish voice. "Where did my dolly go?" The woman sat up, her back no longer hunched and crooked. A youthful hand pushed her hood back and Kiara stared at the face of Terris Thule with no fear.

"I don't know my child but I will make certain you get a new one. Would that be alright?"

Kiara thought about it seriously for several minutes before answering. "I suppose. Can my new dolly have a white dress to match mine?"

Terris Thule smiled, the expression strange on her cruel face. "Of course. What would you like to do now?"

"I want to play with Kerian. Can we play now?"

"No I'm afraid you can't. Some bad people hurt him and he can't play because of it."

Kiara's innocent expression became clouded and angry with the force of her temper. "WHO hurt him?!"

"I'll show you if you tell me what you are going to do about it."

Kiara's hands fisted at her sides. "I'm going to hurt THEM!"

Terris stroked Kiara's cheeks lightly as she stared at her expressive face. "Very good my child, then I will help you do it." She leaned forward and kissed her head. Kiara could feel pressure building where Terris' lips touched her forehead. The pressure built and built until she could no longer stand it.

Da da da da, Dadadada da da da.


	7. Chapter 7 and Epilogue

**Chapter 7**

Kiara woke, filled with energy. She was surprised to notice that she lay on a cold stone floor and her arms were twisted at an awkward angle. She stretched and the ropes that bound her wrists snapped with the movement. Her forehead pulsed in the exact place that Terris had kissed her and each throb filled her with a feeling of power. She raised her hand to her head and sat up slowly. Her vision wasn't blurred but it seemed as though her eyes were perched at the end of a long tunnel. She could view the world around her but felt she could not be touched by it. She stood up and Bonecrusher turned towards her, his expression puzzled. He hopped closer to get a better look and his jaw dropped when he spotted the torn ropes dangling from her wrists.

"How did you break your rope?"

Kiara ignored him, her expression dazed as she began running her fingers through her hair to straighten out the tangles. She spoke aloud to no one in particular, her voice high pitched and childish. "Daddy doesn't like it when I'm messy."

"What on Norrath are you babbling about?"

She turned as though noticing the froglok ghoul for the first time. Her eyes wide with childlike innocence she asked, "I need a hairbrush. Do you have one?"

Bonecrusher looked on, stupefied; as though he could not follow her train of thought.

She looked at the empty air beside her and smiled with delight. "Thank you Rian, that is exactly what I needed." She reached out, grabbed at the air as though she had been handed something, and began to make motions of brushing her hair, humming a haunting tune as she did so.

Bone crusher smiled gleefully, his voice chortling with amusement. "Your brother's death has obviously driven you batty. You'll be quite an interesting specimen to examine now." He reached for his keys and opened the cell door, prepared to grab her should she attempt to run.

Kiara laughed, a childish giggle escaping her lips. "How funny. The frog man thinks you're dead!" She spoke to the air next to her.

Bonecrusher reached out and grabbed her left wrist and her expression changed from one of amusement to one of rage. Her right hand wrapped around Boncrusher's arm and she stared into his rotting eyes, her expression changing rapidly from vacant to icy. "You're the one who hurt Rian. He told me so!" Bonecrusher started to struggle but he was unable to break her grip. She began to siphon the energy out of him. His struggles were ineffective against her rage and magical attack. His fruitless struggles grew weaker until he collapsed at her feet, unable to make the smallest movement. She continued to sap his energy until his lifeless corpse lay still. His mass somehow diminished by her attack.

She let go of his hand and sank to her knees next to his body. She cradled his head in her lap and spoke to the empty room. "Cant leave the dolly like this. Daddy says we mustn't be messy." She drug him over to the wall and using the chains located there she strung him up so that he hung from the wall in much the same way many of his victims must have. "Neat and clean, have to put my toys away." One by one she thrust Bonecrusher's implements of torture into him, until his carcass resembled a bloody pincushion. Smiling happily she brushed her hands together. "All done. Now I can go play!"

She looked around the room and spotted Kerian's body. She went dashing up to him and seized his hand, unmindful of his cold fingers. "Wake up Kerian. I want to go play!" When he didn't respond she frowned prettily and shook his arm lightly. "Wake up brother it's time to play."

He continued to lay still and Kiara's brow furrowed with worry. She shook him harder and his head flopped limply on the table. A feeling of overwhelming loss grew within her. She climbed up on the table with him and lay with her head on his chest, tears rolling down her face as she sobbed brokenly against his lifeless body.

The outer door opened with a bang and a dark elf guard strode into the room. He looked about in surprise when he noticed the open cell door. Kiara raised her head and her eyes flashed with furry as she focused on the guard. He raised his sword and advanced on her. "What are you doing? You had better come with me."

Kiara hissed in response. Blackness surrounded her and she raised her hand and made her palm into a fist. The guard stooped his advance and dropped his sword, his eyes bulging with fear as his breath was choked in his throat. He raised his hands, clawing at his own neck trying to relieve the pressure. Kiara noticed the rusty dagger still lodged in Kerian. She took it out and climbed off of the table. Disheveled and stumbling she made her way to the guard's side.

The guard had dropped to his knees from lack of breath but still remained conscious. His eyes rolled back as he attempted to follow the movement of her hands with the dagger. She raised it high above her head and griping the hilt with both hands stabbed downed with all her strength. The blade pierced his back and slid cleanly between his clavicle and spine, narrowly missing his ribs. The blade pierced his heart and he slumped to the floor but Kiara remained unsatisfied. She stabbed him again and again. Her rage slowly turning to laugher as her arms and robe became covered with his hot, sticky blood.

The next guard to enter faired no better. Their fighting skill no match for the strength and protection granted to Kiara from the goddess. She made her way into the hallway. Each person that tried to stop her ended up dead or dying in her wake until they began to run from her in terror.

At one point Kiara noticed a mirror hanging from the wall. She stopped and looked into it. The woman who gazed back at her was a stranger. Blood was smeared across her cheeks and her hair was tangled and dirty. Strangest of all was a symbol branded into her forehead. It looked like a tattoo of a black crescent moon, its points angled downward. She put her hand to her forehead and touched the symbol and it pulsed with heat. She was distracted by loud banging from further down the hall and she turned reflexively toward it.

At the end off the hall was an armor-clad figure. He towered over the dark elf guards by a foot and a half. His armor was black as coal and etched with intricate patterns. His helm hid his face completely except for a pair of vivid blue eyes. He finished with his opponent; his claymore leaving his decapitated foe's body slumped against the wall. Spying Kiara he abruptly strode toward her, removing his helm as he walked. He was a human, around thirty years old. His face was stern with a white scar across his right cheek. His long hair was black and shiny and in Kiara's shattered mind she beheld her brother standing before her. She took a few steps and collapsed into the humans arms while he looked on with a stunned expression. With her last breath she reverently whispered "Rian."

It was several hours later when Timarian dropped Kiara roughly to the ground. He had fought his way into the temple on the advice of a dream; yet he was still startled that he had actually found her. He made camp quickly and efficiently with the supplies form his saddlebags. Destroyer, his stallion, was tethered nearby and he made certain to care for his needs as well. Sitting down, he tore into his bread and examined the dark elf across from him. Her hair was matted and her skin dirty with blood. The detail that drew the most interest from him was the crescent symbol on her forehead. It matched exactly the mark that had appeared on his forearm when he dedicated himself as a shadowknight of Terris Thule, the goddess of nightmares.

His best guess placed her around age twenty, which was still very young for her race. Underneath the grime he suspected she would be as attractive as most of her race was. He wondered how she had known his nickname and wondered most why he had been sent for her; after a time he shrugged and gave up his musings. When the goddess of nightmares sent you a dream, you didn't argue. Not if you wanted to remain sane at any rate. He took off his armor, laid out his bedroll, banked the fire, and allowed the crackling of the campfire's flames to lull him to sleep.

Timarian dreamed of his youth. He dreamed of traveling through the Desert of Ro with his mother and father. They were racing across the sand, his father had placed him in front of him on the charger and he held the horse's mane in his hands with his father's comforting presence at this back. He turned and he could see his brother perched in front of his mother on their horse. His mother with her shining red hair and gentle eyes. He waived at his younger brother who smiled back . Timarian's father began to pull back on the reigns and their horse slowed in response,finally coming to a stop. His father's worried gaze rested on the darkening horizon. His mother stopped at their side and asked. "What is wrong?"

Timarian heard him say "Sandstorm" before they were off again. This time the horse was even faster but the joy from the previous ride was gone. In the distance he could see a stone gatehouse; his father changed direction heading straight for the gate. His father's greatstaff was strapped to the saddle; its skulled head, faintly resembling a vultureous duck, banged against his knee. They arrived at the gate, just as the wind began to whip through the land. His father dismounted and banged on the large wooden door three times.

A paladin of Marr opened the door, behind him other paladins were running about the courtyard covering supplies with canvases that were then lashed to the ground.

The paladin took one look at Timarian's father with his tattooed cheeks and the amulet of Bertoxxulous around his neck and sneered. "What do you want, plaguebringer?"

"I want shelter for my family."

"Then I suggest you keep traveling. There is a band of orcs out in the desert, they might harbor your kind."

The paladin of Marr began to shut the door; Timarian's father put his hand out to stop it. In the humblest voice he had ever heard him use, his father said "What of my children?"

The paladins expression hardened. "We have children of our own inside, my own daughter died of the wasting sickness. We'll not risk the others. Find shelter elsewhere. Not even the children of Bertoxxulous are welcome here. The door shut with a bang and Timarian herd the sound of a bolt fall into place.

His father remounted his horse and they rode on. Soon Timarian could no longer keep his eyes open--the stinging sand on the wind inescapable--and still the worst was not yet upon them. He choked on the hot dry air as the sand filled his mouth and nose even with the scarf his father had given him to cover his face. His father found an outcropping of rock and stopped the horses unsaddling them, eyes white with fear, and let them go to find their own way through the storm. His parents placed himself and his brother against the rock's face and covered them with the saddle blankets. The storm seemed to last forever, the noise of the wind prevented them from talking, all the brothers could do was huddle close and pray the storm abated.

It felt like hours later when the wind died down. His brother's squirming woke him from his sleep. Together they removed the edge of the blanket and crawled out from the manmade cave. Timarian stretched and looked about. The sky was clear once more, its edges painted with the dusky hues of the encroaching sunset. The horses had returned and stood a few yards away, still shaking sand from their bodies. Their parents were nowhere to be seen. They called for them until their voices were hoarse but there was no answer. Something drew his attention to the blankets they had huddled beneath. They were covered with sand and only distinguishable because their movement had dislodged some of their covering layer. On either side of the blankets were two oddly shaped mounds. Timarian walked up to one and began to brush away the sand. His brushing revealed his father's lifeless hand. He uncovered more until he could see his father's face and he sat there unmoving, holding his father's hand while his brother cried in confusion.

Finally, it felt like hours later, he stood up. He removed his father's amulet and placed it around his own neck, the metal weight oddly comforting. He then rummaged until he found their saddles and provisions. It took a great deal of effort but he managed to re-saddle one of the horses. He lifted his brother into the saddle and then climbed on behind him. They rode off together and while they rode, his sorrow turned to anger and then hate towards the paladins that had lead to the death of his parents, it was then that a nine year old boy allowed the vow of revenge to blossom in his heart.

The dream shifted, he was older now. Training with the knights of Freeport by day and participating in the secret rites of Bertoxxulous by night. He spies her across the training field. She is watching him covertly while her father, a paladin of Marr converses with the general. He strikes another blow against his opponent's shield and feels his adversary give way. Timarian knows he has won. He brings his greatsword around for a final blow that knocks the other fighter to his knees. He turns towards her, his shoulders high with pride. She covertly signals him that she will meet him tonight, by the tree where they first met. He nods in understanding before offering his hand to his fallen adversary.

The day crawls by and finally he is able to escape to meet with her. He heads to the tree and finds her waiting. They kiss, their passion and enthusiasm more than making up for their lack of experience. She smiles up at him, her eyes shining with emotion. They walk hand in hand through the street, stopping at various shops where she examines the sundries available. They reach an area devoid of people, a small enclave with grass, unnoticed by the city around it. She teases him and tries to run away. He catches her and they both fall to the ground. They roll, wrestling in the grass, her laughter sweet in his ears while he tickles her. They end up with her straddling him, her hands running across his chest as she leans down to kiss him again. Her hands find the amulet beneath his shirt. He tries so stop her but she is able to bring it out. Her expression freezes in horror as she stares at the piece. He tries to draw her back, to explain, but she stumbles away, rejecting him and denouncing her feelings. He makes his way back to the barracks, his heart heavy with grief.

The next morning he is woken by two paladins, he is pulled from his palate and his arms bound behind him. They roughly pull him to his feet and drag him to the arena. There she stands along with her father and the captain of the guard. He is drug in front of her father and dropped so that he has no choice but to fall to his knees. The man reaches below his shirt and draws out the amulet. Seeing it, the captain of the guard shakes his head and turns to the other recruits that had gathered. He pulls out a parchment and reads from it loud enough that all gathered can hear.

"Timarian, you stand accused of belonging to the illegal cult of Bertoxxulous. Of consorting with the plaguebringer's acolytes, and participating in their heinous rituals. If you admit your guilt and deliver unto us the names of your consorts, your punishment will be reduced. What say you?"

"Go to the plane of disease and rot there."

The captain shakes his head in sorrow. "Timarian, you are one of my most promising trainees, renounce the plaguebringer and deliver unto us your previous associates and you will be able to remain here!"

At the demand to renounce the faith of his father, Timarian sees red. Betrayed by the girl he loved and forced to this humiliation he rages against the captain, "Never, damn you! May your house rot around your ears and your family be stricken with pestilence!"

The girl's father steps forward. "Then you are found guilty of crimes against the city, illegal cult activities and consorting with the plaguebringer. Your sentence is fifty lashes and banishment from Freeport. May the gods have mercy on your soul!"

Timarian was drug between two posts and tied between them, the tension in his arms nearly unbearable. His shirt was cut off and he was left bare from the waist up. One of the guards stepped behind him and he had only a moment to brace himself as he heard the whistling of the lash flying through the air. Fire blossomed across his back and his muscles seized from the shocking pain. Someone called out "One!" His love and her father ended up in front of him and he stared directly into her eyes. Her expression was one of revulsion. She was enraged that she had allowed him to touch her. "Two!" He stared into her soul and felt his heart grow cold. "Three!"

The lashing continued. He refused to yield and stoically bore the corporal punishment. His eyes never waivered from his betrayer and he never let loose the scream of pain he had locked in his throat. He bore the pain in silence until even the on-looking soldiers could not help but admire his control. "Twenty five!" It felt as though every inch of his back had been sliced by a razorblade. He could feel the blood dripping down his legs and on his bare feet which were braced against the dusty arena floor. Finally, she turned away, unable to bear his condemning gaze any longer. "Forty!"

Timarian closed his eyes, his body sagging, almost pulling his arms from their sockets. He felt lightheaded, reality had retreated and the only thing that he could remember was that he refused to yield. He would die before he let a single sound pass his lips. Sweat dripped down his face but it no longer mattered. How many was it? "Forty-Five!" Ah, that many. How much more could he endure? How much longer would they play with him before granting him blessed relief? His body no longer existed; pain defined him and had become all that he knew. "Fifty!"

He hung from his restraints, his breathing shallow. The captain walked up to him and announced. "You are forthwith banished, never allowed to return." Turning to the other guards he relayed his final order. "Taken him out of the southern gate and leave him with a water bag and a weeks worth of rations. He'll either live or the coyotes will get him, it's in the hands of the gods now"

The dream changed again. He stood outside his body, watching them drag him out the gate and leave him for dead. He watched his brother come to him and haul him, inch by agonizing inch, to one of the cult's safe houses. He remembered how his brother had cleaned the wounds on his back. His brother had fed him broth and cooled his body with wet cloths as fever raged through him when the wounds became infected. He whispered to the goddess "Not this again, please don't make me see what happened next"

The dream changed again, his prayer unheeded. He is twenty-five now. He stands in the underground arena of the cult of Bertoxxulous. The seats are crammed with spectators; the flickering torchlight doing more to emphasizes the shadows than to illuminate the area, leaving the identities of the spectators safe from discovery. The battle area is surrounded by a stone wall, 6 feet tall. The floor is made of packed earth and the vaulting, domed ceiling overhead of dirt and rocks, the occasional root hanging down into empty air. This is the final test to becoming a shadowknight of the plaguebringer. The two highest students of the two schools will battle to the death. The winner granted the plaguebringer's greatsword, a black metal sword that glowed with a green and purple aura.

He faced his adversary. They both wore full plate which not only protected them in battle but kept them from knowing who they fought. The signal was given to begin and his adversary rushed at him, his greatsword poised for a crushing blow to Timarian's chest. Timarian sidestepped him and parried his sword swipe easily. As he passed, Timarian cast Shroud of Darkness on his opponent, stealing his armor's defense for himself. His opponent pivoted quickly and made a stealthy gesture. Timarian stared at him, puzzled for a moment before a sharp blow to the back of his helm announced the arrival of his opponent's skeletal minion. With the metallic clang still ringing in his ears, Timarian swung his sword around with a great sweeping movement. Simultaneously he cast the spell 'Dismiss Undead'. The skeleton fell before him, cleaved in two. He used the momentum of his swing to carry him full circle until he was again facing his opponent who was once again bearing down on him, weapon raised. Timarian brings his own sword up to block the swing and they clash together, sparks fling from the strength of their impact. Dimly, Timarian could hear the dull roar of the crowd rolling around him. Their cheering blended together into the background; amazingly he heard his own pulse beat, rapid with adrenalin. Suddenly his heart stutters, once, twice. Sweat breaks out on his arms and forehead, he recognizes the effect of the spell 'Heart Flutter'. He rallies his strength and gives a mighty heave, pushing his opponent back several feet.

Timarian retaliated with his own spells, 'Blood of Pain' which caused his opponents blood to boil, as well as 'Disease Cloud'. A thick green haze surrounded his adversary and Timarian heard him gasping for breath. He smiled and forged ahead, raining blow upon blow against his opponent. They were all blocked or parried but Timarian could feel the strength of his adversary ebbing. He angled a blow towards his opponent's legs. His opponent tried to dodge but was too slow and the crushing blow brought him to his knees. Timarian kicks him in his chest and he falls to the ground, his greatsword dropping to the dirt.

Timarian stands over him, a primal rush of pleasured washes over him as he sets himself to strike the final blow. Too late he sees the black hair, identical in sheen to his own, visible just below his opponent's helm. He is unable to divert his strike and his sword pierced though his opponent's armor, pinning him to the ground. Timarian ripped his helm off and dropped to the ground at the side of his fallen opponent. Gently he removes the other man's helm and there he saw his own brother's face. He lifted his hand weakly toward Timarian blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Crying, Timarian brushed the blood away from his brother's lips. "Brother, I had no idea." He calls out to the rest of the room. "Someone, anyone… Help me!"

One of the priests steps up to him. "Sir Timarian, this is unseemly. Stand up, allow your adversary to die honorably and accept your new place as a shadowknight of the great one."

Timarian glared up at the obnoxious little priest. With one hand he grabbed his sword and started to rise "This man is my brother. You will aid him and you will do it now!"

"I will not, it is against all precedence. It is his lot to die just as it is your lot to accept your new appointment as a General in the army of Bertoxxulous."

Timarian grabbed the priest's robe with his right hand and lifted the man off of his feet. "Listen you sorry sack of offal." He caught movement out of the corner of his eyes and he turned on the other priests and shadowknights that were gathering. "Listen all of you. I will not be part of an organization that pits brother against brother, unknowing and unasked for. You will heal him now or I will renounce you and dedicate my life to wiping your faith from existence!"

The high priest of Freeport stepped forward. Timarian dropped the priest in his hand to the ground and brought his sword about to point at the high priest, "No Timarian, you are mistaken. You have one last chance to lower your sword and join your new brothers or you can leave here in disgrace, an exile of your faith and a traitor to your father."

Timarion reached for his father's amulet beneath his breastplate, drawing it out, he broke the chain. He held it fisted in his hand only a moment before casting it to the ground in front of him. "Hear me gods! Bertoxxulous, I renounce you! I renounce you and all you stand for. Hear me Gods! I hereby pledge devoted service to any who will grant me the strength to bring down a living nightmare upon my enemies! I pledge my heart and soul to whom-so-ever will answer my prayer here and now. HEAR ME! I pledge my body and prowess to you. Thrice spoken and thrice vowed, I pledge myself to you!"

A great wind filled the arena, pushing back the oncoming hoard. Timarion felt his limbs grow weaker as the blessing of Bertoxxulousleft him. He stood alone, more scared than he had ever been in his life, when a woman's voice spoke in his head. "I accept your vow shadowknight. I take unto my possession your body, heart, service, soul and skills. Henceforth you belong to me!" Timarian's right wrist began to burn, he dropped his greatsword and ran to his fallen brother's body. He wrapped his arms around him just as there was a great wrenching and the world jerked away.

He opened his eyes and saw before him a throne of skeletons. Blood dripped in steady streams down the back and arms and seated in it was a fearful goddess. Her raven black hair fell around two bronze bull's horns that rose from her temples. Her sallow skin was corpse-like and her eyes empty black sockets. He placed his brother's corpse gently on the ground and then went to his knees before the goddess, his head bowed in reverence.

"How may I serve you Terris Thule"

Without warning the dream changed again. He had recognized all that came before as parts of his life, but this point in the dream was something entirely new. Timarian stood upon a battlefield, an army of skeletons at his back. He held in his hands a great claymore, nearly six feet from hilt to tip. As he wielded it he noticed that it weighed no more than a feather. He laughed as he cleared the enemies before him with powerful sweeping stokes of his mighty weapon. He began to notice the faces of the men that died before him. There, the paladin of Marr that had refused his family sanctuary; and there, the bitch and her father that had exiled him from Freeport. Thunder crashed around him and red lightning danced across the cloud-covered sky above. The longer he wielded the clamor the more powerful he felt. Finally, before him stood the high priest of Bertoxxulous, with a mighty downward stroke Timarian sliced him in half and a feeling of such exhilaration coursed through him that he raised his sword above his head and let out a mighty battle cry. His eyes closed as rain began to pour down around him.

The claymore's hilt shifted under his hand. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at the dark blue skin of a woman's navel. He looked up and noticed that has hands spanned her waist. He began to lower her to the ground but she clung to him, sinuously wrapping her arms around him and sliding her naked body against him. Her silver eyes were light and clear. Once her face was on level with his she kissed him passionately, her silken hair cascading softly against his face. The excitement and energy from the battle transferred itself to sexual arousal. He found himself responding to her. With a great deal of effort he set her down but she continued to resist his release. "What is going on here? This isn't real."

The now-familiar voice of the goddess whispered intimately in his ear. "No it's not. But it could be. She is your perfect weapon, designed by me and gifted to you for years of loyal service. Wield her well and you will enjoy the results."

Timarian laughed and bent until his lips barely touched Kiara's. He whispered, "I accept"

The dream ended abruptly. He awoke as he felt a figure straddle him. He sat upright, his hands rougly grabbing the wrists of his attacker. His eyes focused and he looked up into Kiara's tear-streaked face. She leaned forward and kissed him, her lips soft and lingering. As her soft curves pressed up against him, he released her hands und threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her to him to deepen the kiss, his nerves still on fire from his dream. She breathed against him "Rian, Oh Rian. I thought I had lost you."

He rolled, taking her with him, the movement ended with her beneath him. Raising up on his elbows he traced his fingers across her face. "This hardly seems fair Kitten , you know my name but I don't know yours."

She smiled "You play such funny games. My name is Kiara."

"Kiara, that's a beautiful name," he kissed her deeply. She responded with a rare passion that he had not experienced for many years.

He let her up for air and she stroked her own hand across his face. "Oh Kerian, I was so alone without you."

He paused in surprise at the incorrect name but when she kissed him again he mumbled, "Whatever" and gave himself up to the pleasure to be found in her arms. Together they shed their clothing and culminated their alliance in the most intimate way possible between a man and a woman.

Afterwards, while their heartbeats calmed and their breathing slowed Timarion arranged them so that Kiara's naked form lay nestled at his side. He toyed absently with a lock of her hair and contemplated what would come next. Without warning, Kiara's eyes grew smoky, her pupils hidden from view as she was overwhelmed with a vision. She grew stiff beside him and it was with effort that Timarian restraind her from hurting herself. She spoke softly but her words were filled with the echo of power "Your name is Timarian, together our enemies will fall before us and I will bear your children. The world will bow before us…" the vision faded and she nested deeper into his arms and fell asleep. He rubbed her temple gently, bemused by the ability she had just displayed.

"Bow before us, hmmm? I'll hold you to that Terris. I'll hold you to that."

**Epilogue**

Ceire stood just outside Booncrusher's torture room, shaking her head sadly at the devastation left in Kiara's wake. Inside the room Kerian's spirit floated, his expression confused. He kept gravitating between the cell, the table where his body lay, and the broken form of the froglok ghoul that had killed him. It felt like hours later when he looked out the door. He floated closer, his expression puzzled as he tried to remember why she was familiar.

"I know you. I just can't…" his expression cleared. "You were the woman who was leading me to Kiara back in Neriak!" He gave a start, "Kiara! Where is she? I have to go to her. She needs me!"

Ceire shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid that's not really possible now…"

Kerian grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her before abruptly letting go. "What do you mean 'It's not possible'? I don't have to listen to this. I'm going to find her." He strode back though the room and bent to retrieve his sword and shield. His ghostly hand passed right though them. He stuttered in surprise. "I don't understand. What's going on? Tell me!"

Ceire opened her arms to Kerian. "Oh my son, I am so sorry."

"Son? I'm not your son. My mother is dead. Who are you?!" he demanded.

Ceire floated over to him and brushed her hands gently against his forehead. It was a comforting gesture and he leaned into her touch. "Kerian, I am your mother and I'm sorry to say that you are dead too."

His eyes filled with horror as he relived the memory of his last moments. He collapsed against her and she floated them both gently to the floor where she rocked him in her arms, all the while whispering soothing noises. "Shhhhh"

Finally his sobbing calmed and he asked of her. "What now?"

She looked behind her and he followed her gaze. Standing in the doorway behind them was an elf of inescapable beauty. She wore a dress of green silk and had hair the color of sunlight, with a crown of flowers on her head. The goddess smiled at Kerian and silently held out her hand.

Ceire spoke again. "This is Tunare, the mother of all elves. In your life and deeds you impressed her. Although you never knew her name, never worshiped her, she feels that you held her spirit within you. She is willing to allow you to dwell in the plane of growth and live out eternity with her children."

A joyous smile lit his face and he stood up, eager to walk into Tunare's waiting arms. Before he reached her he turned back one last time. "Mother, what of Kiara?"

Ceire smiled and waived him on. "Don't worry about her. I'll remain behind to guide her. Kerian sighed with relief and walked into Tunare's waiting arms. She kissed his forehead and he disappeared in a flash of radiant light.

Before departing, Tunare spoke to Ceire, "She has given herself over to Terris. It is unlikely that she will earn redemption at this point."

"How can you say that? You know she has the potential for good!"

Tunare pondered her answer for only a moment before replying, "When you came to me Ceire, you begged me to intercede for your children. You had been tricked into giving your blessing to Terris Thule, that she might claim your children as her own followers. You went to Innoruuk and begged for his forgiveness and his help. He rejected you for your weakness, cursing you to roam the land with no hope of being welcomed to his plane of existence. But you did not give up, you continued searching for help."

Tunare continued, "Initially you were fueled by hate for having been tricked and wanted to thwart Terris' plan because you could not stand to have lost. Then gradually your reasons changed; instead of wanting help so that you could win, you just wanted help to protect your children. It was then that I allowed you to find me. From one mother to another I heard your plea and agreed to help. I told you that I would do my best to lessen and block Terris' influence so that your children could pick their own paths. When your children showed signs of remorse for the behavior of your culture we realized that they truly could overcome their society's teachings. I told you that if they continued I would open my home to them but because of the wicked deeds you perpetrated in life you would not be able to join them. At that moment you told me that you didn't care and you would do all in your power to continue to guide them to me. Do you remember?"

Ceire nodded sadly, "Yes, I remember."

"The reason that I told you that is because good deeds must be done, because they are right. Good deeds done only to counter the evil deeds in your life have no true value to me. You have spent the past 20 years watching over and protecting your children for their sakes, and in so doing have purged the wickedness from your soul. I tell you this for two reasons. You are now welcome to join Kerian in my plane, you have earned your place there. I tell you also because it is almost impossible to change the balance of good and evil on a being's soul. For every evil that Kiara perpetrates she must do a good to counter it and she must do that good with no hope for gain or profit. Once a person has chosen an evil path it is almost impossible to reverse it. It is your choice, you may come home with me now and join your son."

Ceire shook her head again. "No, I will stay with her. As long as there is a chance, I will not abandon her."

Tunare nodded, "You have my blessing little mother, and my respect for not abandoning your child. I wish you luck." With a last glance, Tunare turned and faded away.

Ceire turned towards the door and began to trace her daughter once again. A single ghostly tear rolled down her face and fell to the floor in silence.


End file.
